


Both sides of the coin

by Duru16



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Anal Sex, Family, Friendship, Gay Sex, Love, M/M, Multi, Oral Sex, Sex, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2019-11-13 20:11:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 42,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18038141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duru16/pseuds/Duru16
Summary: A reinvention of Schmico´s relationship and some other characters and relationships of Grey´s Anatomy.





	1. The Beginning

Chapter 1: The Beginning

 

Levi was working at Grey Sloan Memorial for seven months, he was moving from his mother´s basement to an apartment with his friends Taryn and Dahlia, who also were interns at the same hospital. 

 

They were in the locker room putting their scrubs when Taryn spokes. 

 

Taryn: Have you heard about the about the new ortho god? 

 

Dahlia: I saw him, the day he did the interview with chief Bailey and he is hot, too hot for a doctor and the fellow too. 

 

Levi: A fellow?. 

 

Dahlia: Apparently they are like a team. 

 

Taryn: Maybe they are a couple. 

 

Levi: You always think everybody is gay. 

 

Taryn: Because they are. every girl I sleep claimed that they are straight until they met me, that´s means something, right? 

 

Casey enters in the locker room: Tonight drinks at Joe´s? 

 

Everybody nod. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

Nico finished his residency at UCLA Medical Center, there he met Link who was a resident at that time, after Link finish his residency and fellowship he moves to Seattle as an ortho surgeon for Seattle ´s mariners, and he offered Nico a position as his fellow which, Nico accepted. 

Link received an offer from GSM, to be the new attending, and he accepted. 

 

GSM ER. 

 

There be an accident, a girl in a bike was hit by a car, and the bike was attached to her body. 

 

Levi, dr. Hunt, dr. Webber and the resident Deluca were in the case. 

 

Dr.Hunt: Dr. Schmitt, page ortho, and book an O.R., and when you finish go to box 4 and discharge the patient, then go to the O.R. 

 

Levi: Understood. 

 

Levi left, five minutes later the new ortho team, Link and Nico examined the girl and takes her to the O.R. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

I was in the O.R. working in that mess of flesh an iron, I rise me sight for a second and thought I saw some familiar eyes, I stare at the intern until we exchange glances, I winked at him, and the intern drops something that makes some roar against the floor. Now I´m sure that the owner of that eyes is him, Levi. 

 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

I was trying to watch the surgery, I was on my tiptoes, and then I felt someone staring at me, and suddenly I see him, I recognize these eyes it was Nico, he winked at me, and I drop the basin, good for me always doing the best impression of myself. 

I felt that I´m drowning, having Nico at the Hospital my worst nightmare became true and it brings me old bad memories. 

 

Levi P. O.V. 

 

I grew up in the suburbs with my mother. 

My mum is a lawyer and when she turn 38y/o, she was single and with her biological clock ticking she decided to have a son on her own, so she went to a fertility clinic, and with a sperm donor she ended to having me. 

My neighborhood was a little bit awkward for me, mostly because there are no kids, well I lied, there no kids of my age, all the kids were or babies or in the first year of college. But that changed the summer I was 7, the old man next door died, and a family moved in. 

Then is when I met Nico, an 11 y/o boy, and we became good friends instantly. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

My name is Nico Kim, I am the older brother of Nancy a 2 y/o girl and an unnamed baby because my mother is pregnant again. 

 

I live with my family in an apartment downtown Seattle, my mother is a dentist, while my father is a scient teacher in a prestigious prívate school. 

 

And my life was perfect, it was perfect until the stupid greatuncle of my mother died she inherited his house, so we have to move to the suburbs, and if it wasn’t enough I had to change my school, left my friends, and be the new kid, making new friends, and the best thing that my father said to cheer me up is that we will have a backyard and that I could cut the grass. No cool dude, no cool. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

I was in the pool when my mum calls me. 

 

Mum: Levi dress up, we are going to meet the new neighbors. 

 

Levi: But mum… 

 

Mum: No buts, go upstairs NOW. 

 

20 minutes later we are knocking on the door, a pregnant lady open the door a give us a warm smile, she invited us to come inside, my mother gives her a lasagna as a welcome, she introduced her husband who was taking care of a little girl, and her son. 

 

I smiled at him, finally someone to play with, or at least I hope so. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

So this is it, we are opening the boxes, my sister crying, my father trying she shut up with her pacifier when somebody knocks the door. 

 

Nico: Sure it’s a neighbor the one who came to gossip a brings a pie. 

 

Nico’s mum: Shut up, and be nice. 

 

At the result it was a neighbor next door and her son, a 7 y/o boy with glasses and when he smiles y can see that several tooths are missing, I catch the name Elvis or similar I don’ t care, the only thing I Know it’s that my mum discharge from put the things in its place, and send me to my bedroom to play with the weirdo. 

 

We run upstairs to my room. 

 

Nico: So Elvis, what do you do here for fun? 

 

Levi: First it’s Levi, and no much, there no more children around in the hood, so I spend my time between comic books, video games, and my pool. 

 

Nico: You have a pool? 

 

Levi: Yes, you can come when you want. 

 

And since that moment Levi and I became best friends, we spend the summer in his pool, playing video games, or teaching how to ride his bicycle. 

 

SEVEN YEARS LATER….


	2. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The relationship between Nico and Levi changes in their teenage years.

SEVEN YEARS LATER…. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

It was the end of June when I woke up, I was afraid nothing like that ever happened to me my wiener was really really hard and it’s starting to become very painful, I didn’t know what to do, should I call my mum? no, not a good idea so embarrassing explain this. 

 

Then the sound of my walkie talkie makes me jump off my bed. 

 

Nico: hey could you switch off your light? it doesn’t let me sleep. 

 

Levi: Sorry, it’s…, sorry. 

 

Nico: Levi, what happens?, it’s everything OK? 

 

Levi star to cry quietly: No I think…, I think something it’s wrong with me. 

 

Nico: Levi what happens? 

 

Levi: Ok, fine, … 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

I was sleeping when the lights of Levi’s room hit me, I wait a few minutes, but he doesn’t turn off, so I used the walkie talkie that we use to talk. 

 

Levi’s voice was off, he was crying, and at the end, he tells me what was happening. 

 

I laugh: Levi, that’s completely normal. 

 

Levi: And what is supposed I have to do with this? 

 

Nico: You need to jack off. 

 

Levi: how? 

 

Nico: OK, first go to your bathroom, close the door, and lock. Then take your pants off, grab your dick and rub it up an down, you may be experiencing some tingling, but it’s normal. 

 

Levi: Ok I'm in my bath, out. 

 

But Levi was unaware of put this walkie talkie off, so Nico can hear Levi doing his first handjob, and somehow he turns on an start to do the same. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

I was outside waiting to pick up him to take a ride to a comic book store in my car, but he was so embarrassed that he can even watch me to his eyes. 

 

Nico: You are a man now, don't be ashamed, everybody does. 

 

Levi: what if someone notices? 

 

Nico: I did this morning in the shower, did you notice something. 

Levi denied with his head. – I laugh- Don't worry I’ll give you some tips wanker. 

 

The summer arrives, and Levi and I are spending a lot of time together, but something had changed. 

 

Since the day I had to explained how to masturbate, I see him different, every time I look at him I feel a pressure on my stomach, I don´t like it. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

I just turned 14 y/o and oh boy! it starts to grow hair everywhere, my legs, my armpits, even pubic hair, and my voice also is changing it becomes deeper, and yes, some cracking voice that makes me sound like a goose sometimes 

 

Nico and I are in my pool, the sun it´s hitting I absolutely sure that you can fry an egg on the floor. 

 

Levi: Nico, please put me some sun cream on my back I don´t want to burn my skin. 

 

Nico approaches Levi and sits next to the boy, he starts to spread the cream in Levi´s back give him a little massage, Nico feels a hardon on his penis. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

I have and hard on after putting sun cream and massage Levi’s back to almost his butt, I panic so I stand up and pick a water gun and start a war with Levi; Levi runs a grab the hose and begins to wet Me. 

 

Nico throws the gun and runs into Levi, the two boys fight, and they end rolling on the grass, Nico is on the top, while Levi is still fighting, the older boy grabs the younger by the wrist. 

 

Nico can´t resist the urge of what he is felling so he closes his eyes an start to getting close to Levi´s lips and suddenly... he feels great pain in the forehead, Levi header Nico. 

 

Nico releases Levi´s wrist and falls touching his forehead. 

 

Levi: What the heck dude? 

 

Nico gets up and runs away embarrassed. 

 

The next days the two boys don´t speak and start to avoid each other. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

It's been weeks since the fight that Levi and I had, we still do not talk to each other, it's weird how everything happened, I still do not know how to act in front of him. 

 

Today it's been weird I've seen him with Brian, my swimming teammate, they were both laughing and when they saw me they suddenly stopped talking. Levi has run away, I mean it if that guy wanted to train a little he would get to the athletic Olympic team. 

 

Nico: Hey, Brian, what's wrong? 

Brian: Nothing, I'm waiting for Stacy to go to the mall. 

Nico: what did you do with Levi? it seemed that you had a good time. 

Brian: That guy is a nerd, he was talking about how excited he is to get the X-Men 3 DVD. 

Nico: Yes of course, of course - Nico agrees to change the conversation. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

Nico's birthday is in 12 days, his mother is preparing a surprise party, so I decided to buy him the best gift, maybe that will improve things because since I gave him the headbutt I've been avoiding it. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

Nina Nico's mother: Honey, have you made the list of what you need for college? 

 

Nico: Yes, mom. 

 

Nina: Let me see. 

you're going to need underwear, socks, a coat ... 

 

Nico interrupts his mother: But if it's Los Angeles, it will not be colder than here, and I do not wear a coat, I wear the team's jacket. 

 

Nina: Son, we're not going to argue about this, you'll take your coat, why? So you ask, because I say it, and do not argue with me - Nico's mother is moved by tears in her eyes - my son has grown up, he's almost an adult and he's leaving home for hundreds of miles, and my baby boy - starts to cry- 

 

Nico: Come on mom, it's not like I'm going to war. 

 

Nina: Do not even think about getting ready. he threatens him with the index finger. 

 

Nico: You know I did not mean that what I mean is that you've raised me well, that I'm going to study, I'll be fine, I know how to cook, clean, do the laundry, do not worry. 

 

Nina: I am a mother I will always be worried about you, and your sisters. 

 

Nico: Okay, I give up, so in your opinion, what else do I need? 

 

After discussing with his mother about what he will need or not when he goes to college, Nico goes out to get some fresh air. 

 

He returns to see Levi with more friends of Nico, Levi is talking, he is confident, the other guys laugh, Nico is approaching the only thing he can think of is that Levi is telling them that he tried to kiss, as fear approaches it is taking over him and also the anger, he is getting paranoid. 

 

When he arrives at the group of boys, they stop taking. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

I was taking a bike ride when some friends from Nico called me from their car. 

 

We go to a nearby park, they have no idea what to give to Nico for his 18th birthday, and talking to Brian he told them that Levi could advise them. 

 

Levi was making a list of possible things that could give him, but Nico arrives and everyone is silently trying to preserve that they are preparing a surprise party. 

Levi takes his bike, his intention is to leave, for the face of Nico is the best, but this prevents him by grabbing his arm. 

 

Nico: you do not move from here - he says furiously, squeezes his strong arm. Tell them the truth. 

 

Levi: I do not know what you're talking about. Let me go, you hurt me. 

 

John one of the friends intervenes: Hey dude chill out, the kid is not doing anything wrong. 

 

Nico releases Levi's arm, he rubs where he has held him. 

 

Levi: Well, I better go. 

 

Nico: that, run fagot. 

Levi is frozen, from there everything happens as in slow motion; Levi turns around with the face of not understanding anything. 

 

John: Nico, I think you're wrong. 

 

Nico: No, the other day. You do not know what he has done, do you? 

 

Harry: What are you talking about? 

 

Nico: He's letting go of the team's shit, he says he's hooked up with Paul. 

 

Paul: That's not true. Nico: I'm just saying what he said. 

 

Without having anything to do with it I was surrounded by the friends of Nico, Paul threw the first punch, I fell to the ground and covered me as I could, then kicked, spit, I prayed that everything would end as soon as possible. 

 

I saw a gap and tried to escape, I took the bike but one of them grabbed me by the neck and threw me to the ground, another grabbed the bike. 

What do I do with it? asks one. 

\- Pull it to the road - he another answers - 

I raise my head a little, I see Nico with a grim cold expression as if he did not know me. 

 

Someone approaches some runout, others are in the car, that passes over the bike. 

 

When they left, I stayed in a fetal position, hurt by the blows received, a woman approaches and wants to notify the police, but I refuse, I get up, pick up what's left of my bike and go home. 

When he arrived, I went up to my room and burst into tears. My mother comes back from work, she gets scared when she sees me, she takes me to the emergency room, they do an x-ray, she has a pair of fissured ribs, she heals the wounds and they discharge her. 

In the car Sara Levi's mother: Honey, who did this to you? 

Levi: I do not know mom. 

Sara: Honey, we have to denounce the aggression, we can not get away with this. 

Levi: Mom, I really do not know who they were, I barely saw their faces, they just wanted money and I did not wear them, they would be stoners or something like that. 

Levi's mother stops insisting. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

Nico is on the porch as he watches the sunset, Levi's mother´s car parks, Levi goes down, his face is bruised, his eye is black, his lip is split, he holds his left side and limps when he walks, it's still able to look Nico in the eyes, a sad look full of disappointment and reproaches, is when Nico realizes what he has done, he should go see him and apologize, however, his body does not respond and he sits there watching as Levi and his mother enter the house. 

 

After dinner time, he watches Levi's room from his window, he has the walkie talkie in his hand ready to talk to him, to apologize. Half an hour later Levi enters, puts on his pajamas, Nico tries to get Levi's attention so that he turns on his walkie talkie. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

I hear blows in the window, like drops of heavy rain, I look out the window, and I see Nico throwing stones he points out his walkie talkie, it seems he wants to talk. 

I look for the trunk where I keep the toys mine, I take it, but the truth is that I do not want to talk to him again, not after what he has done to me. I open the window, Nico opens his, he smiles at me, and I realize how idiotic I am, he is laughing at me, I am like a beaten dog that returns with his master moving his tail happily for a caress, well no, because I'm worth, I matter. 

Rage and impotence is the only thing I feel when I see him wanting to talk to me as if nothing had happened. 

An impulse takes hold of me and I throw the walkie talkie hard, then I close the window, and lower the blinds. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

I see how furious Levi pulls his walkie talkie, I stand still, he has never had much strength or aim, I think, it will fall in his garden. 

But for the first time in his life he has marksmanship and he hits me in the forehead, the impact and the pain make me fall, I writhe pain in the ground, my hands go to the place of the impact, I notice a thick liquid, I look at my hand, there is blood. 

Damned brat; I go to my bathroom, I look in the mirror, the blood comes out and falls on my face, stains the sink and the floor, I take toilet paper that is what I have more at hand and I put it on the wound, pressing to cut the bleeding. When I stop bleeding I look at the wound is not too big, something I can cover with my hair, I wait at dawn, when the whole house is asleep, I go down to the kitchen and I take a sedative, my head is killing me, part by the blow, partly by my actions. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

It's the first time I leave in two weeks, I did not want to meet Nico, things were bad enough, thanks to the beating I managed not to go to his birthday, which I deeply appreciated. 

My mother hurries me, wants me to give her my suitcase, we go to Sacramento to visit my aunt who is in full divorce of her third husband and according to her needs her family, in reality, what she wants is that we help her with the move. 

Nico P.O.V. 

From the living room, I see Levi looks much better, is with his mother putting the suitcases in the trunk of a taxi. 

A few days ago I heard our mothers, they will be gone three weeks, and since then I have tried to convince my father to advance the trip to Los Angeles, with the excuse of knowing the city and looking for some work after school, I actually look for not to cross in a season with Levi, I am so ashamed of what I have done to him that I can not stand looking at him in the eyes, I am a bad person.


	3. Bad Day, Good Day.

GSM Cafeteria. 

 

Link and Nico are eating in the cafeteria, Link is talking, but Nico is distrustfully staring at Levi. 

 

Link: And then I took the scapel and cut his throat. 

 

Nico nod. 

 

Link snaps his fingers in front of Nico: Hey, I'm talking to you. Why are you looking at the interns?. 

 

Nico: I know one, that one with the glasses was my neighbor when I grow up. 

 

Link: Oh, the one you made that. When you talked about him I imagined it different, taller, more handsome more. Why don´t you talk to him? 

 

Nico shakes his head grimacing. 

 

Link: what a chiken 

 

Jo arrives at sit with the: How is going your first day? 

 

Link: Good, people seems nice. What about the interns?. 

 

Jo: Not good, not bad, they are still learning. 

 

Link: So no dramas, no gossip we need to know, nobody has kill anyone? 

 

Jo: No, but that one with the glasses, during his sub-in drops his glasses on and open body, he is the clumsiest that I ever see. 

 

Link: Poor thing, what you say Nico? 

 

Nico hates glances to Link: Well, everybody had something to regret in their intern year. 

 

Link: Boring. 

 

Levi left his table in a rush after being paged. 

 

Nico apologizes to Link and Jo and follows Levi, when he is outside the cafeteria runs to meet with Levi. 

 

Elevator. 

 

Before the doors close Nico jumps inside: Dude, this was close. 

 

Levi pulls off his phone a starts to look at his cell ignoring Nico. 

 

Nico: really that´s what you are going to do, ignore me. 

 

Levi: Yes. 

 

Nico: I know you hate me, it´s ok, you are right to be angry with me. 

 

Levi: Drop the act of I such a good guy, I know you, so leave me alone. 

 

Nico: Levi. 

 

Levi: I´m working, just try to be professional, you´ll should try too. 

 

Levi arrives at Nisha's room where dr. Avery, he tells Levi Nisha has necrotizing fascitis and she needs surgery, but in order to stop the infection, they will operate in the hyperbaric chamber. 

 

They start to do the surgery, and Levi sees Nico peeks inside through the window, he feels is short breath. 

 

The infection spreads and Nisha died on the table, but Levi and dr. Avery have to stay inside the chamber until decompress. 

 

Levi is with Taryn at Joe´s, Nico sits near order a beer and gives it to Levi. 

 

Nico: Before you say something, you had a bad day let me do this. 

 

Nico leaves, Levi drinks the beer it´s free and he needs alcohol. 

 

There have been a few weeks and Levi has to work in ortho. 

 

Link: Levi, right?. 

 

Levi: Yes, sir. 

 

Link: Your first time in ortho? 

 

Levi Nodded. 

 

Link: Well, I'll let you in the capable hands of my fellow dr. Kim. 

 

Levi rolled his eyes, without trying to hide his discomfort. 

 

Nico: Follow me, so What’s your first impression? 

 

Levi: You are not real doctors, you are more like the handyman always with screws, screwdriver, hammer, and when you took the saw, you are a butcher chopping legs, arms or whatever. -he mock, trying to hurt Nico ego- 

 

Nico offended stops talking, he needs to find another way to smooth things with Levi. 

 

Levi follows Nico to E.R. and Levi examines a broken arm under Nico´s supervision. 

 

Levi: I think, the humerus is broken, I gonna ask for an x ray and after we see the image we put a cast. 

 

Nico gives a thumbs up to Levi. 

 

X-Ray lounge. 

 

Levi is waiting for the image in the computer, while Levi is sit in a couch: You are doing well in ortho, keeping in mind you despise what we do. 

 

Levi: Thank you, dr.Kim. 

 

Nico: And do you still go to that book store?. 

 

Levi was feeling comfortable, and for a moment he forgot he hates Nico: No, now it’s a Strabucks - Nico notes some kind of nostalgia in Levi´s voice-, and before you ask every place we used to go have closed. 

 

 

Nico: What a shame, I have a date, and I like to take him to the pizza place. 

 

Levi: Best pizza is at Madison st 

 

Nico:And are you dating? 

 

Levi turns in his chair to look Nico in the face. 

 

Levi: A lot, don´t you see the long queue I have of men waiting for me at the door? –he answer with sarcasm-. 

 

Nico: I know first year as intern is a killer to the sex life of anyone. 

 

Levi: You can use an app, like everybody else, and hookup. 

 

Nico: You do that? 

 

Levi: Sometimes, it´s super easy, I’m doing it right now. And baam i have a date for tonight. 

 

The x-ray image is formed on the screen. 

 

Levi: Wait, Is that a mass? 

 

Nico calls Link, and the three doctors talk to the mother, there is a lot of crying, and while Link was talking with the boy he cuts his own hair to everyone´s surprise. 

 

Elevator: 

 

Levi and Nico walked in the elevator. 

 

Nico: That’s intense. 

 

Levi: Yes. I want to apologize for what I said before. 

 

Nico: So does it means you like it? 

 

Levi: It´s better than I thought. 

 

Nico: For ortho, o because of me. 

 

Levi chuckles: Both, but at least we can work together. -Levi´s phone vibrates he takes it and text, he smiles. 

 

Joe’s. 

 

Levi is waiting for his date, Taryn, Casey, and Dahlia sit next to him. 

 

Levi: I don't want to be rude, but I have a date and you guys will make him run away. 

 

Casey: That’s not rude, not at all. -said ironically-. 

 

Dahlia: And who is the lucky guy? 

 

Taryn: Dr. Kim of course, they were all day long together, and he stares at Levi a lot since the first day. 

 

Levi: Are you drunk already? how many beers have you? 

 

Taryn: With whom? 

 

Levi: I met him in an app and he is gorgeous, works as a firefighter, he is July in the calendar. - Levi pulls his phone and shows a picture of the fireman. 

 

Dahlia: OMG!, he is really, really hot, Do you know if he has single friends, or brothers or something? 

 

Taryn: Or lesbian friends, I´m really needy. 

 

Levi stands up, he saw the fireman and leaves his friends. 

 

Casey: Be careful with the hose. 

 

Levi: I am always careful. 

 

Link and Nico are drinking at Joe´s. 

 

Link: So it didn´t work? 

 

Nico: work what? 

 

Link: Leaving the two of you, working together, you didn´t make up? 

 

Nico: We find a common ground to work together. 

 

Link: But you like him. 

 

Nico: Me? - he snorts a laugh- bullshit. 

 

Lin: Ok, lie to yourself, but I never see you behave like this. 

 

Nico: Like what? 

 

Link: So smiling, kind, a little tense when he is near you and you look at him as if it were the only thing in the room, not to mention that you undress him with your eyes. 

 

Nico stays thoughtful, thinking in it. 

 

Link: If you say, I gotta grab another beer, you wanna? 

 

Nico shakes his head.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi´s new boyfriend it´s not what he seems.
> 
> The Boards Exams are coming.

Three months later. 

 

Levi is still dating Barry the fireman. 

 

Locker room. 

 

Casey: Study group for the medical board exam tonight? 

 

Taryn: Yes at my place. 

 

Dahlia: really? I´m on shift tonight. 

 

Levi: I call Barry, and cancel our date, he is gonna break up with me, it´s the third time I cancel in the same week. 

 

Casey: But if you pass, you´ll be a resident. 

 

Taryn: When we pass, no IF, we are gonna nail the exam; we are gonna makes the board exam our bitch. 

 

Dahlia: I'm with you. 

 

Levi: We still have time. 

 

Casey: 10 days is not time. 

 

Restaurant. 

 

Nico is in his second date with a random guy from a dating app, the dude is boring as hell, he will be ditch the guy as soon as possible. 

 

The guy is telling something about his work as an accountant, and Nico can´t be more disinterested, he looks to the door and sees Levi´s boyfriend with other guy kissing. 

 

Nico: Oh Boy! 

 

Nico´s date: That´s exactly what I said to my boss and... 

 

Nico: excuse me for a second I need to go to the toilet. 

 

Nico´s date: Yeah go. 

 

Nico pulls his phone a take some videos. 

 

 

Cafeteria. 

 

Lunchtime, Link and Nico are eating. 

 

Link: So your date last night, how it was? 

 

Nico: terrible, the food good, the guy insanely boring, and the icing on the cake, I saw Levi´s boyfriend cheating on him. 

 

Link: NOOOO. 

 

Nico: Yes, I recorded it. 

 

Link: Nooo, are you fucking crazy, what are you gonna do with that? 

 

Nico: Show him of course. 

 

LinK: No, you can´t do that, because it will seem you are a jealous ex, and a creepy stalker trying to sabotage his new relationship. 

 

Nico: Or maybe I´m trying to be a good friend for him. 

 

Link denied: Come on!, you can´t be so naive, you have to play the long game dude, don´t you learn anything from me?, send me the videos I´ll handle the situation, I had a plan. 

 

Nico: Oh boy!. 

 

Link: Shut up Kim, and delete the videos from your phone, I´m uploading to my fake Instagram, sending to the restaurant. 

 

Nico: Fake account. 

 

Link: Yes, now shut up, I’m working…., wait for it…, - minutes later- and see the restaurant upload your video, now I delete mine and is done. 

 

Nico: You have a problem. 

 

Nurse station. 

 

Dr. Helm is doing her rotation in ortho with Link. 

 

Link: What we have dr. Helm? 

 

Dr. Helm: Not much, an ankle twist. 

 

Link: slow day, I guess – he pulls out his phone- Maybe a look for a good restaurant for a date. 

 

Dr. Helm: Ok. 

 

Link: Oh, this seems nice, cozy and romantic, look this couple they can barely take their hands off each other. 

 

Link shows his phone to Helm, she grabs the phone after she recognizes Levi´s boyfriend. 

 

Helm: Which restaurant is it? 

 

Link: You have the name there. 

 

Helm: Can I take a break for a coffee? 

 

Link: Yes, don´t worry. 

 

Taryn is trying to keep calm, she reaches Levi who is at Dr. Pierce services. 

 

Dr. Pierce: Dr. Helm, you are not in my service today, what are you doing here? 

 

Dr. Helm: I.. I need to talk to dr. Schmitt, life or death matter. 

 

Dr: Pierce. Sorry not now, we are going to operate, so if nobody of his family is dying, it will wait. 

 

Helm text Levi a set a lunch date with the others. 

 

 

Cafeteria. 

 

Dr: helm: Thank you are here, I need help, I found Levi´s boyfriend is cheating on him. 

 

Levi is behind her: What? 

 

Dr: Helm: Check this. Sorry. 

 

Levi sits. 

 

Helm: Levi sorry, I don't wanna you found that, this way. 

 

Casey: I can call some friends from the army and broke his legs. 

 

Dahlia: We can poison him. 

 

Helm: I like that, big diarrhea, he will shit on him or like an explosion of shit. 

 

Levi: Thank you 

 

Casey: what are you gonna do? 

 

Levi: Study, tonight at my place? 

 

Everybody nod. 

 

 

Taryn went to ortho, she was studying between cases. 

 

Link: Helm, what are you doing? have the results of miss Smith? 

 

Taryn: Yes, I have right – she starts to look for the papers- here, everything is normal. 

 

Link: Look, I understand you are worried about your boards' exam, but the patient comes first, ok? 

 

Taryn: Yes, sorry, it’s I think I will fail, an expelled from the program and then fired, I will end living in the streets. 

 

Link: STOP, I know how stressful, it is, but I sure you will pass, plus someone here passes his boards and was in the top 5 of the country, and I’m positively sure that if you ask for help, he will. 

 

Taryn: You? 

 

Link: Me? No, but Nico is. 

 

Locker room 

 

Dahlia: You look happy. 

 

Taryn: I found a secret weapon and we will nail our boards. 

 

Levi: You have the test! 

 

Casey: I hope you share. 

 

Taryn: It’s better than a copy of the test, I swear. 

 

 

Apartment. 

 

The doorbell rings, Levi goes to open the door and he finds in front of him, Nico. 

 

Levi: What are you doing here? 

 

Nico: Taryn ask for help for her board, I don't realize she has a study group. 

 

Taryn approaches the door: Don't be shy, come in. Guys Nico was on the top 5 on the boards. 

 

Dahlia: Top 5 of the state? 

 

Taryn: National top 5, and he agrees to help us to study, great isn't it? 

 

After three hours of studying, the group feels starving and their stomach starts to growl. 

 

Levi: I’m gonna make us dinner. 

 

Taryn: I 'll help you. 

 

After dinner, Taryn brings a cake. 

 

Dahlia: This is delicious. 

 

Nico was about to prove. 

 

Levi: Don't eat that, it has nuts, and you are allergic. 

Everyone in the room look at Levi, he doesn’t know how justified knowing personal information about Nico. 

 

Nico: We are making a consult and the grandma of the kid we have put a cast offer me a cookie, and it has nuts, my glottis close, and in a bare breath, and he puts the adrenaline shot, and save me from an anaphylactic shock. 

 

Taryn: He never told that. 

 

Levi: I don't wanna smug. 

 

Nico was washing the dishes, while Levi dries with a towel. 

 

Levi: Thank you for the help. 

 

Nico: your face was an open book, and I detected some panic in your eyes, Why don't you tell that you know me? 

 

Levi: There's part of my life I prefer not to talk about. 

 

Nico: I understand. 

 

Nico left the apartment. 

 

Taryn: He is a nice guy isn't he? 

 

Levi shrugs. 

 

Dahlia: And handsome, single, and gay. You should try to hook up with him Levi. 

 

Levi: Me? Why? 

 

Taryn: What part of single handsome gay do you not understand. 

 

Dahlia: Yes and he flirts with you, and your boyfriend cheated on you. 

 

Taryn: You broke up with Barry? 

 

Levi: Not yet, I’m occupied with my work, my study 

 

Taryn: So you are gonna make ghosting. 

 

Levi: Yes 

 

Dahlia: Coward. You have to look into his eyes a crush his spirit. 

 

Levi: I know, I know, I have to talk to him, and returning his things, but I don't want to. 

 

Dahlia: Be brave Levi, tomorrow I’m free, I can go with you as moral support. 

 

Levi: Fine. 

 

Levi goes to his room to collect Barry’s things. 

 

Taryn: You better tape everything, I don't wanna miss all the gay drama. 

 

Dahlia: Deal. 

 

Barry’s apartment. 

 

Levi is at Barry doorstep a woman open the door. 

 

Levi: Hello is Barry here? 

 

Woman: No he is at work. 

 

Levi: Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself I’m Levi, Barry’s boyfriend, you must be the sister that move with him because is divorce, sorry I'm bubbling, this is Barry’s things. 

 

The woman opened her mouth, but no sound came out, her eyes fill with tears, a girl goes to the door. 

 

Girl: Mummy, is there daddy?, I hear his name. 

 

Levi soon realizes he makes a huge mistake, Barry is married, and he is the homewrecker, the door closes in front of his nose. 

 

Dahlia and Levi walk out the building, Levi sits in the passenger seat and cry. 

 

Dahlia: If you want, I’ll make your shift today. 

 

Levi: No I need a distraction. 

 

 

ER. 

 

After Levi arrives at the hospital Barry was there waiting for him, he calls Levi in the ambulance bay, Barry punches Levi in the stomach. 

 

Barry: You ruined my life scum. 

 

Some coworkers run to help Levi, and Barry runs away.


	5. This boy is on fire part. I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is sent to the clinic and the situation gets out of control.

Levi has a 48 h shift, the first hours were chaotic, multiple car crash, an accident in a circus, watching ER full of clowns with blood seems like a nightmare. 

 

Then a surgery of 6 hours, by the time he finishes, Dr. Webber sends him to the clinic. 

 

The clinic was desert, except for Nancy the nurse, she was pregnant. 

 

Levi: Good morning, what we got? 

 

Nancy: we are closed until 9 sharp, we have 30 minutes of calm, I’m gonna take a coffee and then I’m gonna go to the storage room to refill supplies and I come back, Do you can manage this without me? 

 

Levi: I’ll try not to set this on fire. 

 

After Nancy is gone, Levi is alone, he feels the loneliness and emptiness and starts to get lost in his mind. 

 

Old Pete the homeless, that camps near the hospital, and everybody knows him, knocks the door 

 

Levi: We don´t open until 9. 

 

Pete collapses at the door, Levi catches a gurney, and manages to put Pete on, Levi brings Pete to the box and throws the curtain, Levi puts the yellow robe, the mask, the gloves and starts the physical examination. Pete has high pitch fever, chills, headache, chest pain, and abdominal pain, Levi examines the abdomen and sees a rash, Levi put an I.V. with fluids, and antipyretic 

 

Levi had left the door open and a mother and a baby come to the clinic, he is about to tell her that the clinic is not open yet, but a man enters with abdominal pain and after him a few slight bound patients from ER, that Dr. Webber send. 

 

15 minutes later, the clinic was flooded with people. 

 

Levi goes to check Pete, the fever is even higher than before, Pete started to seizures then throw up blood, and starts to bleed from the ears, eyes, and nose, then Levi try to control the situation the best he can, but Pete died. 

 

Levi never had seen anything like that, but he knows, old Pete might have a hemorrhagic fever, and that could be a potential danger, he has to close the clinic establishes a quarantine, and do it quietly not to alarm anyone. 

 

But if he is right, first he takes photos of Pete´s rush, then samples of the blood, and the rash, he opens a pair of sterile gloves and put inside the samples, he goes to the door waiting for the nurse, and when she comes, Levi stops her, explains above the situation, gives her the samples, and sends her to do. Webber. 

 

Levi goes to a separated room, and calls, Webber. 

 

Dr. Webber doesn´t agree with Levi´s judge of the situation, but Levi insists and after a minute, Dr. Webber agrees to run some test on the blood and call the CDC. 

 

ER. 

 

Alex Karev: Dr. Webber, you page me, what happened? 

 

Dr. Webber: We have a situation at the clinic, apparently and according to dr. Schmitt, maybe we have a case of hemorrhagic fever, the patient died. 

 

Alex: Oh God!, you trust in glasses judgment. 

 

Dr. Webber: He seems pretty confident, and I´ll quote him: “You can fire me if I screw”. 

 

Alex: I´m calling security, and use the surveillance cameras as our eyes inside. You call the CDC. 

 

Clinic. 

 

Levi is examining his other patients and trying to make them wait as long as he can, while the CDC arrives. 

 

GSM. 

 

Meredith is looking for Alex, he has to sign the budget of her service, she sees a lot of people surrounding screens. 

 

Meredith: Is anybody working today? 

 

Dr. Webber: We have a situation at the clinic. 

 

Helm runs to the chief, the first analysis confirmed Levi´s theory. 

 

Alx: This is the worst. 

 

Dr. Webber: A Gunther situation. 

 

Clinic. 

 

The man with abdominal pain condition is getting worse, after Levi examination, it seems colic, so his gallbladder has a stone, block the conduct, and if the block is too long maybe causes a perforation. 

 

Levi goes where the old Pete body is and calls Dr. Webber, asking for advice. 

 

GSM 

 

Webber: Stay calm, we are seeing everything through the cameras, the CDC is coming they are 2 hours ahead. 

 

Clinic. 

 

The situation become tense, Levi is trying to calm down everybody, a teenage girl is making a live Instagram, she was telling the world a crazy doctor lock them up, she walks through the clinic and enters in the box where Pete´s body is, she starts to scream, some people try to go out, Levi pulls the girl out, and takes her phone. 

 

People get mad and upset, they try to get out. 

 

Levi stands up the counter in the reception, and shout to everyone: Shut up. 

 

Many of the presents pull their phones and record Levi 

 

Levi: This is the situation, Pete, that is the name of the person who died here, maybe be had a contagious disease, I can´t let you out, because if you are infected you can spread to your beloved ones, you want to be responsible for the death of your sons, your daughters, your girlfriend, mother? 

 

People start to calm down. 

 

Levi: The best thing you can do it´s being calm, and wait for the CDC, I know you are tired, hungry, and I´m sorry for that, but please let´s make this situation as comfortable as possible, and help each other. 

GSM. 

 

Jo runs to her husband: It´s in the news, everybody is talking about it.


	6. This boy is on fire Part. II

Alex: Good, what we need right now, publicity, and start to panic to the ER, page everybody, the on call, the residents, the interns and prepare for the worst. 

 

Avery: He is the new Gunther. 

 

Meredith: Oh please, shut up. 

 

Clinic. 

 

The man with abdominal pain fainted, Levi calls dr. Webber, Meredith takes away the phone. 

 

Meredith: Listen to me dr. Schmitt, you have to do the surgery right now. 

 

Levi: What?? 

 

Meredith: Don´t panic, I´ll tell you what you have to do. 

 

Avery: That´s crazy. 

 

Bailey: Shut up 

 

Avery: Why everybody tells me to shut up? 

 

Alex: Because we don't like you, now shut up. 

 

Meredith: Do you have everything?. 

 

Levi: Yes. 

 

Ortho. 

 

Link: Did you hear? Levi is in quarantine at the clinic. 

 

Nico: What? 

 

Link: It´s all over the news, watch. And now I understand that he is your type the total package 

 

Nico: What are you saying? 

 

Link: oh, since I know you-you date two types, the nerds and then Mr nice guy but with the steel balls and with I watched in the TV Levi´balls are ... -Link pointed a tv switched on with Levi, Nico watches how Levi take control of the situation and working hard without hesitation, and no making mistakes. 

 

Nico´s phone is ringing, is his mum: Yes mum, no I´m Ok. 

 

I just saw it. 

 

Try to calm her, I´ll try to find out, 

 

Yes, I call you back, I love you. 

 

 

Nico looks at Link: Levi´s mum watch his son on the news and she is having a bad time. 

 

Link: Go and ask the chief . 

 

Nico runs where everybody is. 

 

Alex. Dr. Kim what are you doing here? 

 

Nico: Levi´s mum call me, she needs to know what is happening, she is very nervous. 

 

Bailey: Tells her, that Schmitt is doing an O´Malley. 

 

Nico: What´s that? 

 

Alex: An intern making a surgery by his own, and the attending giving the instructions. 

 

Nico: He´s going to kill him. 

 

Alex: Well, then he will be known as Glasses, blood bank, O´Malley and 007, he will be the intern with most nicknames. 

 

Clinic 

 

Levi´s patient pressure drops. 

 

 

GSM 

 

 

The CDC arrives and starts to bubble the clinic, Meredith receives a positive pressure suit, she dresses up, the anesthesiologist gives her a propofol injection. 

 

Clinic. 

 

Meredith enters in the clinic look for Levi; when he sees her the first thing he thinks it´s that she looks like an astronaut. 

 

Meredith checks the work Levi have done: Good work, dr. Schmitt, you save his life, now we are gonna finish this. 

 

After the surgery Levi crumbles, he is exhausted, the CDC, examines everybody, especially him who has been in touch with Pete. 

 

CDC decides that everybody will be in quarantine period of 20 days for the patients in the clinic and for Levi. 

 

Pete´s autopsy reveals a bat bite, as a possible source of contagious, making him patient 0.


	7. Bubble boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the incident in the clinic, Levi is in quarantine.

GSM. 

 

Levi is alone in a room is a bubble he is sleeping, nobody without a special suit can pass, Nico brings coffee to Levi´s mother who is waiting outside. 

 

Nico: He´ll be fine. 

 

Mother: I know, when I saw early this evening him, being that bossy, acting as a doctor, I realize it´s not my baby anymore, he is an adult. 

 

Nico: why don´t you go to rest, He is going to be here 2 weeks at least. 

 

Mother: I don´t want to left him alone. 

 

Nico: I´ll bring you a blanket and a pillow. 

 

Mother: Thank you, you are such a nice man. 

 

Chief Karev, calls Webber, they talk low, Levi can´t understand anything, but the corporal language it´s tense. 

 

Webber: Well, young boy, the CDC wants you discharged earlier, and in my opinion, you should stay in quarantine a few days more. 

 

Levi: Ok, I understand and trust you, I can stay a few days more. 

 

Board´s Exam day. 

 

Levi is anxious about the boards' exams, are happening right now and he will be isolated for at least 12days. 

 

Dr. Webber enters the bubble and connects saline to Levi IV, and puts the test on the table. 

 

Levi starts to do his exam. 

 

Days go by, Levi is still in quarantine will the other patients of the clinic were discharged, except the man with the gallbladder issue. 

 

Night shift. 

 

Nico is making the night shift taking care of Levi, watching him sleep. 

 

Levi: Could you stop watching me sleep, it’s creepy. You don't have a life or something? 

 

Nico: I have one, thank you for asking, but your mother needs to rest, and she doesn't want to leave you alone, that's why your friends are taking turns taking care of you. 

 

Levi: We are not friends. 

 

Nico: you sound like a broken record, shut up and go to sleep 

 

Levi: Don´t shut up me, I´m the one who shut up you. 

 

Nico sticks out his tongue to Levi. 

 

Levi throws one of his slippers to him, that hits the plastic wall. 

 

Nico: You are such a child, BUBBLES. 

 

Levi: What do you call me? 

 

Nico: Bubble boy, pretty obvious – pointing to the bubble-, and I'm gonna make this your new nickname. - he laughs. 

 

Levi: I hate you. - Levi goes back to bed and rolls up the blanket like a cocoon-. 

It's 3 o'clock in the morning, the night is calm, so Nico decides to sneak into the bubble, puts on the glasses, gloves, mask, and gown with which all the doctors and nurses are supposed to enter. 

He sits on Levi's bed, touches him on the back, Levi wakes up. Levi: WHAT? Nico passes the thermometer through his forehead and notes the temperature. 

Nico: I bring you chocolate, are you still hating me? 

Levi: Maybe hate is a strong word, I apologize. 

 

Nico walks to the door: Good night Levi. 

 

Levi: You know what is funny? I always thought you are the one to apologize. 

 

Nico: Me? 

 

Levi: You never apologizes for what you did to me, the insults, the beating, the … 

 

Nico: I try to apologize, and what I received was this -his pointed a tiny mark in his forehead-, because the freaking Levi Schmitt, had marksmanship for the first time in his life. 

 

Levi: Oh poor Nico he has a scar. But what about me being bullied for four years, you do the harm and left to L.A., but your legacy in the swim team gave me a beating every week they had competition. 

 

Nico: I didn´t know, I never thought … I just was a kid scared of what I was feeling, the fear of rejection, I wasn't prepared for coming out, I just was 17. 

 

Levi whispers: I only was 14, and I didn´t know that I was gay, you know how many nights I cry before sleep, Do you know the hell that was for me the institute for 4 years?, How many days I desire to die?, that one day when I was 16 I was so sick of everything, so desperate to end with my life because I thought it was my only exit, so one day a I had enough courage to stole pills from my mum hoping to end with everything – at this point Levi was crying-, and everything because you were scared. 

 

Nico approaches Levi, he tries to comfort Levi embracing him, Levi fight, he doesn´t want to be so close to Nico. 

 

Nico: I´m sorry. -Nico was crying, Levi stop fighting him- 

 

They remain to embrace a long time 

 

Levi: I´m pathetic. 

 

Nico: No, you are not pathetic, this must be eaten you inside from a long time, it´s my fault, and I wish never hurt you, I never want to hurt you. 

I´m sorry I feel so ashamed 

 

Levi: I’m sorry too, I just barf at you all this, it wasn´t fair put all the blame on you, my mother constantly asked me if everything was ok in school, that I could count on her, and I always lied to her saying everything was fine. 

 

Nico: But I started, and if it wasn´t for me... - Nico low his voice – you try to kill yourself. 

 

Levi: Thank god, the only pills my mother had in her cabinet was birth control pills, so ... no harm, except knowing my mum had a sex life, and that´s your fault. 

 

Nico chuckles: Yes put the blame on me, birth control pills? 

 

Levi: Shut up, I was nervous to read labels. 

 

Nico: I´m glad you didn't read labels, and you stay here alive. 

 

Levi: Me too. 

 

I still don´t get it why do you do that to me? why do you hate so much? 

 

Nico exhale: I didn´t hate you, I hate myself, I wanna be normal, how I could be gay?, I played basketball, I was in the swim team, I wasn´t fem, it took me time to accept me and love myself, I hide my true self, 

 

Levi: but you knew me, you knew you could trust me, that I never betrayed you. 

 

Nico: I don't know how telling you this, without it sound bad, or but you were part of my problem. 

 

Levi: I was your problem? 

 

Nico: I ... I'm a little embarrassed to recognize it at this point - Nico rubs the back of his neck and looks at the ground, but Levi deserves an explanation and maybe that's how to close that chapter of their lives and make peace between them - but I had a crush on you when I was 17. 

 

Levi looks at Nico surprised by the revelation, and begins to laugh: Did you had a crush on me? - he laughs- It's not that I'm laughing at you, but that does not make sense, it would be more normal for me having a crush on you. 

 

Nico: Well it´s what happened – he says upset- and walks out the room. 

 

Levi realizes that he has hurt Nico´s feelings. 

 

Levi sits on the floor waiting for Nico, when he comes back after taking off the gown, glasses, and toss away the gloves. Nico gives his back at Levi. 

 

Levi: Very mature ignoring me, Nico looks at me, please. 

 

Nico reads on his phone. 

 

Levi: OK, you don´t want to talk to me face to face, I´m breaking the bubble – a zip sound, Nico turns alarmed to the bubble-. Gotcha ´s only my hood ´s zippers. I won't apologize, I don´t wanna hurt your feelings, you caught me off guard, I didn´t expect that someone like you fell for someone like me. 

 

Nico: what do you mean with someone like me or you? 

 

Levi: Like you – his pointed him-, someone intelligent, affectionate, compassionate, comprehensive, generous, quiet, you do not have a great sense of humor but sometimes you are funny, responsible, honest, disciplined, hardworking. 

 

Nico: And handsome. 

 

Levi does not feel like arguing so he gives up: And handsome, yes. 

 

Nico chuckles: I forgive you, add magnanimous to the list. And you, you forgive me? 

 

Levi: We´ll see.


	8. One last goodbye

Next morning. 

 

Sara: Nico can I talk to you one second? in private. My mom fell, she broke her hips, my sister is on a cruise celebrating her 5th divorce, I´m flying to Sacramento tonight, could you... 

 

Nico: Yes, no problem I take care of Levi. 

 

Sara: And please don´t tell him anything about this, he is very close to my mom and I don´t want to worry him. 

 

Levi´s mother stays with him a little bit, and then she goes. 

 

Levi: What´s happening? 

 

Nico: Nothing, why? 

 

Levi: what did she tell you before? 

 

Nico: Oh, she is exhausted, I told her to go rest, I think she maybe catches the flu. 

 

Levi: You are lying to me. 

 

Nico: I don´t lie. 

 

Levi: You do that thing. 

 

Nico: I´m not doing anything. 

 

Levi: You do. 

 

Nico: No. 

 

Levi: Yes. 

 

Helm: What´s going on here. 

 

Levi: He is lying to me. 

 

Nico: No. 

 

Levi: Yes. 

 

Helm: Stop with the loop you two, you need to resolve the sexual tension as soon as possible. 

 

Levi: There is no sexual tension. 

 

Helm: Look who is lying now. 

 

Two days after. 

 

The result of the boards came Levi, Taryn, Dahlia, and Casey Passed, and they are residents. 

 

Helm: So this deserves a big celebration. 

 

Levi: As soon as I leave this prison we will get drunk. 

 

Casey: About that, we are going out tonight. 

 

Dahlia: Sorry. 

 

Levi: Oh!, come on, it´s only two more days, 36 hours before I will discharge. 

 

Helm: Look bubble boy, we are going to get celebrate tonight. 

 

Levi: You are the worst. 

 

4 days ago Levi´s mom traveled to Sacramento to stayed with his mom before the surgery, the surgery has gone well, two days after she has an infection, they have been treating her with antibiotics. 

 

The treatment doesn´t work the infection has spread to the heart and kidneys, they have put her on life support, she will pass away in a few hours. 

 

One day before being discharged from the hospital Levi´s mom calls him and tell that his grandmother is near to passed away. Levi feels trap in the bubble, he is so close to his grandma, he has to be there with her and says goodbye, so he waits, one of the things he was doing during his confinement is observed, and during the change of shifts is his best chance to break and leave. 

 

During the change of shift Levi breaks the bubble, surprisingly no alarm, so Levi walks to the stairs he goes down to the intern's locker room, opens his, and grabs his backpack and the car keys. 

Levi takes the elevator to the ground floor and goes to the parking lot, he pulls his cars keys and tries to start the engine, but it makes a weird sound that Levi never heard before, he tries again. 

 

Nico: Is the battery. 

 

Levi jump in his sit: Are you trying to kill me? you scared me. 

 

Nico: I saw you walking down the hall, so you have been discharged? 

 

Levi hesitant answers: Yes, something like that, look I don´t have time for a chat, my mother calls me, my grams is dying, and I have to go to Sacramento, and my car doesn't work. I need to go to the airport. 

 

Nico: Ok, I give you the ride, follow me. 

 

Levi follows Nico to his car and sits in the passenger seat. 

 

Levi: Thank you. 

 

Nico: No problem, I remember when we were kids, and you broke your leg, and she came to take care of you, and she was making that chocolate cake, oh it was the best cake I´ve ever eaten, I can still taste it. 

 

Levi: I remember you ate the whole cake, and then you puked it. 

 

At the airport, Levi looks for his wallet in every pocket, he remembers he left at the locker. 

 

Levi: FUCK!. 

 

Nico: Don´t worry, I take your ticket just outbound, I imagine you will come back with your mother. 

 

Levi: Yes, thanks, I´ll return the money. 

 

Nico: Don´t think that now, take care of your mom, I´m really sorry your grandma is an extraordinary woman. 

 

Levi tries to hold the crying, and unexpectedly hugs Nico, and he embraces strong Levi, the speaker announces Levi´s flight, Nico breaks the hugging. 

 

Nico: You have to go. 

 

Levi: Thank you for everything. Can I ask you one last favor? 

 

Nico: Yes. 

 

Levi: Do you mind put a new battery in my car a left it in my mom´s house. 

 

Nico: No problem, give me the keys. 

 

Nice come back to the hospital, open the hood of Levi's car and take a photo of the battery, he goes to an auto shop buys Levi a new battery, goes back to the parking lot, and start to change the battery. 

 

Have you tired of ortho and now you want to be a mechanic?. 

 

Nico: Yep, this it´s exactly what it is. 

 

Link: You look happy, what happened? 

 

Nico: Levi´s grandma is going to die. 

 

Link: So you are happy watching him suffer? You are a bad person. 

 

Nico: It´s not that, Levi's car doesn't star, I gave him a lift to the airport, and he hugs me. 

 

Link: Ah, I understand, you are a boyfriend without benefits, what a loser. 

 

Dr. Webber comes out of the hospital, he seems to be really angry, stops with link and Nico: This is not a workshop, take all this crap asap. 

 

Nico: Sorry 

 

Link: Rough day. 

 

Dr. Webber: You´ll tell me, the freaking Schmitt runaway. 

 

Link look at Nico. 

 

Nico: He wasn´t discharged? 

 

Dr. Webber: CDC discharged, but I want to take him a few more days, so technically is blurry. 

 

Nico: He is on his way to Sacramento, his grandma is dying. 

 

Webber feels bad, but that not the reason why he had to escape like a criminal from prison, he is a reasonable person: When you talk to him, tell him to call me. 

And now give me the wrench, you are doing it wrong. 

 

Nico calls Levi: Hey, How are you doing? 

 

Levi: Good I guess, she had all her funeral planned, so… 

 

Nico: And your mom? 

 

Levi: She is holding on, she is trying to be busy, cooking, cleaning, and trying not to kill my aunt. 

 

Nico: I talk to Dr. Webber and he wants you to call him. What the hell were you thinking Levi? - whispers- 

 

Levi: Oh!, fuck, he is going to fire me. 

 

Nico: He is pretty upset, but I think he understands the situation. You have to call him, right now. 

 

Levi encourage himself to make the call: Dr. Webber? 

 

Dr. Webber: Schmitt. 

 

Levi: I know, I know, I break the quarantine, but in my defense, well I don´t have any, I just want to say goodbye to my grandmother, I´ll face the consequences when I´ll return, and clear my locker. 

 

Webber: Have you finish?, I´m sorry for your loss, you have three days off to stay with your family, and there will be consequences for your actions, but we talk in person. 

the conversation goes for a few minutes before the end. 

 

Levi feels exhausted, he remembers the last moment of her nan, and cry silently in the kitchen of her granma apartment. 

 

Three days after. 

 

Levi and his mom arrive from the airport, after that, they go to their home. 

When they arrive, Levi sees his car in the garage door, he had to do something nice for Nico, so he decides to make him a chocolate cake.


	9. A cake, a punishment and tequila shots

GSM 

 

Dr. Webber Office, he knocks the door, he waits outside: Come in!. 

 

Levi goes into the office. 

 

Nico´s apartment. 

 

Levi knocks the door. 

 

Nico opens the door only wearing a pajama pants. 

 

Levi: Sorry, you were sleeping. 

 

Nico: Don´t worry, do you want to come in? 

 

Levi nods and goes into Nico apartment: I´ll bring you a cake, and the money, and an apology for fooled you. 

 

Nico: OK; lately we do the apology thing a lot. 

 

Levi: I noticed – Levi left the cake on the kitchen´s counter. 

 

Nico closes the door and follows Levi to the kitchen, Nico lifts the stainless steel cake cover, Nico covers his mouth with his hands. 

 

Nico: Has a truck hit the cake? 

 

Levi: HA HA HA!, you are very funny, it may not look good, but it´s tasty. 

 

Nico takes two forks: You first. 

 

Levi eats the cake: See, I still alive. 

 

Nico eats the cake: No as good as your grams, but good. 

 

Nico walks to his couch with the cake, and Levi follows. 

 

Nico: Have you been with Webber?. 

 

Levi: Yes, I am grounded, now I´m basically Webber´s slave, a week suspension and then I have to be on call every weekend, and no O.R. for a month, A MONTH!, Can you believe it?. 

 

Nico: Well, if you want I can teach you some ortho surgeries only theory. 

 

Levi: Really? 

 

Nico: Yes. Do you want to drink something? I have vodka, tequila, beer. 

 

Levi: Beer with a tequila shot. I need to get drunk. 

 

Nico: I understand. 

 

After one hour of drinking. 

 

Nico and Levi are sitting on the floor with their backs lining on the couch, they are barefoot, a little dipsey, talking, making jokes. 

 

Nico: The universe is telling us something, and we are not listening. 

 

Levi: I ’m listening, I heard the message loud and clear. 

 

Nico: Do you? -ask Nico surprised-. 

 

Levi: Yes, and the message is, Levi Schmitt you are gonna die alone and eaten by 20 cats. 

 

Nico: That’s the message? 

 

Levi: Maybe I’m overreacting I’ll have only 10, I swear. 

 

Nico: Really? really? – he asked mad-, that what you get from this? 

 

Levi: I have to because it’s less scary than the actual message. -Levi rests his head on the couch´s cushions. 

 

Nico: What do you afraid of? -Nico lies his head next to Levi´s. 

 

Levi: I´m not brave enough. 

 

Nico: I´m sick of games Levi, so and I´ll ask you one more time, what do you afraid of? 

 

Levi: What if everything goes wrong? 

 

Nico makes a move to get up, but Levi stops him –Levi: I´ve been mad at you for years, and - he sighs- and then I found you in the hospital, and you start flirting with me. 

 

Nico: I don´t flirt with you. 

 

Levi: You winked at me during surgery. 

 

Nico: And you got nervous. 

 

Levi: Yes, and since then I´ve been fighting against my feelings for you, on one hand, I was angry at you and on the other hand ... well, you are hot, and that pissed me off. 

 

Nico´s right foot play with Levi´s: So you like me? 

 

Levi smiles: Yes, I like you, Nico Kim. 

 

Nico caresses Levi's cheek: I like you too, I think you are very sexy – he whispers before kissing him-. 

 

Levi climbs astride Nico; Nico starts to unbutton the shirt, kissing Levi´s neck, Levi stops kissing Nico and rest his forehead on his the eyes of both are closed, Levi´s hands hold Nico´s head. 

 

Levi: If we continue with this -his breath is heavy-. 

 

Nico: I know -he kisses him again-. 

 

Levi: Are you sure? 

 

Nico: yes, do you want to stop? 

 

Levi: No. 

 

Nico removes Levi´s shirt slowly kissing the chest, Nico’s hands caress Levi's back until he reaches his ass, grabs him tightly.


	10. The fun part

Levi starts to laugh: I'm sorry, I did not expect that. Levi kisses Nico again, to squeeze his ass again. 

 

Levi laughs again: sorry, it's a little weird. 

 

Nico: Maybe because you like more spanking -Nico bites his lower lip and gives him a small whip in the ass he says while raising his eyebrows and smiling. 

 

Levi: We will talk about the spanking later, but now up. 

 

Nico obeys and stands up. 

 

Levi: Put your arms on my shoulders, get a little closer - Levi starts to kiss with Nico and this time it's Levi who grabs Nico's ass, the same way Nico did before. 

 

Nico: I understand what you say - he says while laughing-, so no ass, for now. Levi does not say anything, he bites his lower lip as he thrusts his hands into Nico's pants. 

 

Levi kisses Nico's chest, with the tip of his tongue, plays with the nipples, with his right hand begins to stroke the cock, Nico throws his head back, Levi notes Nico´s boner while masturbating Levi kisses his neck, suddenly stops, grabs his shirt and puts it on as he goes to the door. 

 

Nico: But, what ...? 

 

Levi: it's late, I should go now. 

 

Nico looks at his hard-on then looks at Levi with confusion 

 

Levi: I got you -say with a smile in his face-, let's go to your room, we'll be more comfortable do not you think? 

 

Nico: you little punk, don´t you? 

 

Levi disappears towards the room, Nico follows him. In the bedroom Levi stays in his underwear, Nico follows him, from behind Nico kisses Levi's neck, caresses his belly and goes down, Nico turns around Levi, they both stay face to face, they keep kissing, Nico´s hands go down the back of Levi, Nico grabs his leg and lifts it, Levi jumps and rolls his legs around the Nico´s hips, this moves towards the bed. 

 

Levi: someone has been exercising. 

 

Nico knocks Levi in the bed, looks him in the eye: What do you like? 

 

Levi: I adapt. 

 

Nico: I'm also versatile - Nico smiles- 

 

Levi: Double fun. 

 

Nico kisses Levi, continues down the neck, nipples, belly, removes the boxers, continues to kiss the groin, while jerk off Levi, then kisses the scrotum, licks the cock from the base to the tip, kisses the glans, spits a bit on the penis and puts it in his mouth, while with his left hand Nico masturbates. Levi bends his legs, leaving his ass in sight, Nico spits on his hand and inserts a finger in the ass, puts it in and takes it out by changing the speed. 

 

Nico stops, opens the drawer of the bedside table and takes out the lubricant and condoms. 

Nico puts on a condom, Levi puts on the lubricant and places a pillow under it, to make it easier for Nico to fuck him. 

 

Nico put his penis in Levi's ass, tight. Nico kisses Levi, Levi's hands are entangled in Nico's black hair, the sweat of both is mixed, the gasps increases, the breaths are accelerated, after a while, they change position. 

 

This time it is Levi who the condom is placed, Nico gets on all fours on the bed. Levi gets it in the ass, Nico grimaces in pain, not expecting Levi's cock to be so big, slowly Nico´s anus stretch, making Nico feel more pleasure. Levi increases speed, feels that he is going to cum soon, pulls out his cock, and begins to suck Nico's cock. Nico introduces his middle finger in the ass and massages his prostate. 

 

Nico: Oh, oh, I'm close. 

 

Levi stops sucking his cock, Nico jerks off on his stomach. Levi lies on the bed also jerking off, while Nico kisses him and pinches the nipples. 

 

Levi also ejaculates on his stomach, his hand and something reaches his face. 

 

After a while kissing Nico gets on top of Levi, Levi's hands caress Nico's face. 

 

Nico grabs him by the wrists and puts them on Levi's head. 

 

Nico: Did you like it? 

 

Levi: I would need to repeat. 

 

Nico: Done. 

 

Nico keeps kissing Levi, takes a condom and puts it to Levi, Nico is riding on Levi. Levi kisses Nico, his neck and chest, caresses his back, moan, Nico contracts and relaxes his ass making Levi feel much more pleasure. 

 

Nico is jerking off while riding. Nico changes position, removes the condom Levi sucks his cock, Levi is close to cum, Nico kisses his balls until Levi cums. 

 

Then it's Levi's turn, he lies on his side and Nico fucks him from behind, Levi turns his head, kisses Nico. 

 

Nico makes deep penetrations and rhythms, they are slow, Levi feels pain and pleasure, the wheezes of both rumble in the walls of the room, Nico continues fucking with Levi, is very horny and ends up cumming inside the condom. 

 

The two are exhausted Nico is on Levi's chest, listening to his heart, he feels very relaxed, Levi kisses Nico's hair, his breathing paces and they fall asleep. 

 

NEXT MORNING 

 

Levi wakes up without knowing very well where it is, it costs him some time to locate himself in the room. 

 

Nico: Hey!, good morning. 

 

Levi: Good morning. 

 

Nico gets on top Levi and they kiss. 

 

Levi: How do you sleep? 

 

Nico: Pretty well, considering how little you´ve left me. -Nico sees Levi thoughtful- Tell me, what´s going on in these precious little head of yours. 

 

Levi sighs: Nothing, just what are we now?, I mean, obviously we are not boyfriends, or are we dating? maybe friends with benefits? casual sex? 

 

Nico: I think we don´t need labels for now. But if you feel more comfortable we can try to get out, I mean, we have skipped a few steps and go straight to the fun part. 

 

Levi: yeah, it was fun. 

 

Nico: What if we have our first date, there is a beautiful and cozy coffee shop nearby and they have some amazing croissants 

 

Levi: I should shower first, I smell like... 

 

Nico: You smell like me, your sweat and mine, semen, lubricant, pheromones, and condoms, and I have to say it's a smell that makes me horny. 

 

Levi: First the date, then we will see. Don´t you work today? 

 

Nico: Today and tomorrow are my days off.


	11. First date.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Nico go to the first date.

First date. 

 

They were at the cafeteria, Levi feels nervous his hands are sweating, his mouth dry. 

 

Nico: You are quiet, Don´t you like the place? 

 

Levi: No, it´s perfect, it´s something else, it´s... you know me I tend to overthink. 

 

Nico: Tell me. 

 

Levi: I don´t wanna be known as the intern who bangs a the attending, Do you mind if we keep professional at the hospital? 

 

Nico: I’m a fellow -Levi rolled his eyes- but, yes I understand, you want to make your own way without being questioned by your personal life. 

 

Levi: Don´t you mind? 

 

Nico: No, as long as you don´t tell our moms? And not because I'm ashamed of you, or me, but you know how they are... 

 

Levi: I know, so we can keep this as a secret. -Nico nod- 

 

After the breakfast they take a walk in a nearby park Levi takes him by the hand. 

 

Levi: So it´s time for the regular questions. 

 

Nico: Such as? 

 

Levi: Do your parents know you are gay?, When do you come out? etc... 

 

Nico: Yes they know, I came out when I was 19, in a Thanksgiving and it was terrible. 

 

Levi: Why? 

 

Nico: Do you know my family? My mother asked me if I would do anal sex, Nora wanted to know if a eat jizz, my father told me about an STD, Nancy said that she won the bet and that my mother owned her 200 bucks. 

 

Levi: Well, in my case, my mother said: “I don´t care what you are as long as you clean your room”. 

 

Nico laughs: And your first time? 

 

Levi: With men or a woman? 

 

Nico: You had sex with women? 

 

Levi: Yes, a couple of times, why are you surprised? you had girlfriends in high school. 

 

Nico: I had girlfriends, but I had a purity ring, I dated them for no longer than 4 months, then we broke up, I was sad for 2 months and start again. 

 

Levi: Oh, the first time I had sex it took me by surprise, I was 15 working in the comic book store, and do you remember Claire Martin? 

 

Nico: The one with the pink hair? 

 

Levi: Lavender, she was the manager and she was crying because her dog died, I tried to comfort her, and she kissed me, one thing leads to another and we had sex in the backseat of her car. It was awful, but I think it was because the first times always are. 

And with a boy, in my senior year, I had to tutor Woody Porter the lacrosse captain, I was his dirty little secret, he was in the closet and didn´t wanna come out. You? 

 

Nico: I was 19, I ended in a gay bar the waiter was hot he bought me two drinks and we go to the bathroom and … 

 

Levi: Gross. 

 

They walk by to Nico´s apartment, Levi says goodbye, he is going to his place to change his clothes, they date for dinner later that night. 

 

Nico: What if we go to your place, you change your clothes, and go to dinner? 

 

Levi´s house. 

 

Levi is in the shower Levi heads to the bathroom for a shower, Nico follows him. 

 

Nico: You know that this is for two. 

 

Levi: As much as I love to proof but not today, so please, please, please stop being so sexy and wait for me in the couch. 

 

Nico gets naked and pulls Levi closer and kiss him, then drag Levi into the shower, they are under the water, Nico push Levi against the glass, puts his hard cock on Levi’s ass, Nico grabs Levi cock and makes him jerk off, then the two of them take a regular shower. 

 

Taryn enters the bathroom and sits to pee. 

 

Levi: What the hell are you doing? 

 

Taryn: Sorry, the door was open and I really need to pee. Hi Nico. 

 

Nico laughs. 

 

Levi: This is not funny –says him mortified-. 

 

Nico: I tell you that there was someone in your house. 

 

Levi: When? 

 

Nico: I did in the shower, you were kissing my chest. 

 

Levi: That´s not fair.., you cloud my judgment with your nakedness. 

 

Nico: My nakedness? good to know. 

 

Taryn is sitting in the living room: So you are a thing now. 

 

Levi: Will see, it´s our first date. And I´m asking too much but shut your mouth and don´t tell anyone.


	12. Lasagna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Nico made Lasagna

Levi is on his first day, after a week of suspension.

After lunch Nico calls Levi to go to an on-call room. 

 

As soon as he closes the door, Nico pounces on Levi, like a hungry lion on a helpless gazelle, hugs Levi against the wall. 

 

When Nico's lips part from Levi's almost breathless: I thought we were going to be discreet. 

 

Nico: And we are, we do not have an audience clapping. 

 

Levi smiles his fingers play with Nico's chest, climb to the nape of the neck and tangle them in the hair. 

 

Nico: And how is your day? 

 

Levi: very boring until now. 

 

Nico: Do you know what I've been thinking about? 

 

Levi: In having sex here – takes off the scrubs top is removed super excited. 

 

Nico: No, well yes, but I was really thinking about our date, I hate to do this, but I have to cancel, I have a surgery and will take hours. 

 

Levi looks at him: Maybe I can go to your place and make the best vegetable lasagna you ever eat.. 

 

Nico: It´s a date. - Nico kisses Levi for a while longer before going to the OR-. 

 

Levi is cooking, Nico shuffles in, is tired, and the operation has turned into a nightmare, the patient has had a strange reaction to the anesthesia and is in a coma. 

Levi: How was your day? 

Nico: Horrible. - He goes to the kitchen and kisses Levi in the temple. 

Levi: Do you know what will help you lift your spirits? Help me with lasagna. 

Nico: Levi I do not think ... 

Levi does not listen to him puts an apron on him, and ties it to him: Come on, do not be lazy. 

Nico rolls up his sleeves and washes his hands in the sink, Levi looks at him in ecstasy. 

Levi: You look like a surgeon - he mocks -. 

Nico laughs: What a funny guy you are. 

Levi: Come make the white sauce. 

Nico: I do not know how to do it. 

Levi: I'm telling you how to do it step by step. 

Nico has been cooking for a while, he has relaxed a lot, and Levi has helped him to get distracted: This is already done. 

Nico takes the saucepan to Levi. 

Levi: But if this is full of lumps, and it is super liquid, it is supposed that the white sauce should bathe the lasagna, not drown on it. 

Nico: What do you say? it's perfect. 

Levi takes the package of flour: Bring, I tried to fix this mess. 

Nico sets aside the dipper: I tell you it's perfect. 

Levi keeps insisting on throwing more flour, in the struggle, the packet of flour falls whole in the saucepan. 

Nico: Now you have spoiled it. 

 

Nico leaves the pot on the counter, Levi begins to remove the flour, unintentionally something falls on Nico's shirt. 

 

Nico: Be careful! 

 

Levi: Oh, it's a bit of flour - grab a pinch of flour and blow it in Nico's face. 

 

Nico: You'll be -Nico wipes his face, he's going to take the flour package, but Levi is faster, so he goes to a closet and takes a new package- Revenge. 

 

Nico takes a handful and throws it to Levi. 

Levi runs around the island kitchen Nico chases him, the floor is white and slippery, Levi slips and falls turns around and sees Nico with a smile on his face. 

 

Levi: Mercy. 

Nico: Admit that I have won and I am the king of the universe. 

 

Nico extends his hand to help Levi get up, but the young man pulls Nico and both fall to the ground. 

 

Levi has Nico on him: I will not admit anything. 

 

His lips are a few millimeters, he kisses, the clothes start to get in the way. 

 

Nico: Wait, this is not right. 

 

Nico gets up and Levi too. 

 

Levi: Yes of course, sorry. 

 

Nico: This is not good, especially having a bed like that a few steps from here. 

 

Levi laughs and Nico carries the young man like a sack on his shoulder.


	13. Dahlia Part. I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi tries to be a matchmaker.

Levi has flooded in work, Dr. Webber punishment to Levi consists in a lot of paperwork, every weekend he has a shift to cover and OR limited only to minor surgeries. 

 

Levi was in a 72hours shift, it was a quiet night, so he goes to an on-call room, climb to one of the bunked beds and sleep. 

 

Levi was sleeping peacefully, he was waking up for hard noises, he felt of the bed kissing the floor. 

 

Taryn and Levi are waiting for Dahlia outside the hospital to go home. 

 

Taryn: What is taking her so long? 

 

Levi: She is trying to impress Link. 

 

Taryn: Another crush on an attending? She needs to move on. 

 

Levi: Said the girl with a crush on Dr. Grey. 

 

Taryn: Yes I have a crush, but I have a sexual life. 

 

Levi: I know, I heard you – Taryn look frighten- Thin walls and you are louder. 

 

Taryn: Look she is coming, with Link and Nico. 

 

 

Dahlia arrive with Link and Nico 

 

Dahlia: Hey guys, wanna some drinks? 

 

Taryn ignores her while they watch Nico and his boyfriend kiss. 

 

Taryn: I wanna stop watching, but it’s super hot, and I can´t. 

 

Link: It’s hypnotic. 

 

Dahlia: It’s súper creepy we all stared like that, so come on people, it’s just two people kissing for fifteen minutes straight. 

 

Levi and Nico walk taking each other hand, Taryn, Dahlia, and Link silently go with them. 

 

At Joe’s 

 

While Taryn and Dahlia are in the bathroom, Nico goes to order the drinks 

 

Link: Levi, What’s about to tell me?. 

 

Levi: It’s probably doesn’t interest you. Dahlia helped Dr. Avery to develop a new technique in facial reconstruction of the jaw after oral cancer, and next month the will give a lecture in a conference, she will be a speaker on the maxillofacial. 

 

Link: Really, she didn’t say anything. 

 

Levi: She is shy. -looking directly to Link eyes-, so try not to scared her. 

 

Link points to Levi, he's going to say something but, Nico comes with the girls. 

 

Link touches Dahlia's arm, and she blushes: Levi told us about your big day. 

 

Dahlia shares glance with Levi who rises his glass: For Dahlia, for her big day, and the ones that will come. 

 

Everybody cheers her. 

 

Dahlia: Thank you, I’m sorry to be the party popper here, but I should go. 

 

Link: Me too, I’ll escort you to your home. 

 

Taryn: Wait, I go with you, there´s no way I stay here being the third wheel.


	14. Taryn Part. I

Taryn has a group of new interns two male doctors, Carlos a twenty Y/O gifted child prodigy who skipped several courses, Kayla a blonde nerd, short stature an small voice, who seems afraid of everything, and Chelsea a tall redhead with the face full of freckles, green eyes and the body of a playmate. 

Taryn was talking to Dahlia when somebody touches her back, when she turns around sees Chelsea, her heart jumps. 

Chelsea: Dr. Helm, it’s my birthday. 

Taryn: Oh, congratulations. 

Chelsea: we are going to celebrate ate joe’s and I love you came. – she wet her lips, while touches Taryn’s arm- 

Taryn: Oh, I’m busy, I don't know if I can make it. 

Dahlia: Don't listen to her, she will be there. 

Chelsea goes with a smile. 

Taryn: What are you doing? 

Dahlia: Oh come on, she is sweet and hot, and she likes you, and you don't date anyone for a long time. 

Taryn: I'm going to quote someone, maybe you remember, "stay out of my life". 

Dahlia: You do it constantly. 

Taryn: Because it's part of my charm, it does not suit you well -Taryn looks for the word that defines it- 

Dahlia: Nosy, it's the word you're looking for. 

Casey: who is nosy? 

Taryn and Dahlia point their fingers at each other. 

Casey: Okay - he says hesitantly- 

Dahlia: It's the redhead's birthday and Taryn does not want to go. 

Casey: Well, it's your problem, you should not get involved. 

Taryn smiles thanks. 

Casey: I have not finished, if she is a coward it is not our problem. 

Taryn: I'm not a coward. 

Casey: chicken - begins to cluck, Dahlia joins him-. 

Taryn: very mature. 

The cackles raise the tone. 

Taryn: Okay, okay, I'll go to Joe's. 

Taryn is looking for something to do. 

Casey and Dahlia collide hands. 

Casey: She is easy to manipulate it. 

Locker room. 

 

Taryn is in front of the mirror. 

Levi: is something wrong? 

 

Dahlia: she has a date with Chelsea, the redhead intern. 

 

Levi: well done. 

 

Taryn: It's not a date. She is only been polite. 

 

Dahlia: Keep repeating that. 

 

Levi: Well, even if it's not a date, it's not a reason for you not to get pretty - Levi is getting undressed to put on her clothes- 

 

Taryn: Excuse me? 

 

Levi: I mean, are you going to go with the hair like that, the usual ponytail? and you have dark circles and you're pale. 

 

Taryn turns to look at the mirror, touches her ponytail, brings her face closer to the mirror, it is true that she is pale, she moves closer to the mirror and opens her eye to look at the conjunctiva, then looks at the dark circles. 

Taryn: I better go home. 

Dahlia tapped Levi on the shoulder for pointing out her faults, while Dahlia goes with her friend, opens the vanity case and gives her a gloss and drops her pigtail, takes a pink lipstick and spreads it across her cheeks as if it were rouge. 

Dahlia: much better. 

 

Joe's 

Taryn is going to have a drink with her interns, but one drink becomes two, two in four and by the time she wants to realize they are walking with Chelsea's arm when Chelsea kisses her unexpectedly.


	15. Link. Part I

Nico´s Apartment 

 

Link opens two beers and returns to the living room, he gives one to Nico. 

 

Nico: I thought we were going to the stadium to watch the game. 

 

Link: I gave the tickets to a child. 

 

Nico: Dude 

 

Link: He's 10 years old, with leukemia and his collarbone was broken. He was wearing his mariner's cap, and I had to do it. 

 

Nico: Now you make me feel bad. 

 

Link: You should. Anyway, I'm happy, because we had not been to watch a game for a while or have a drink. 

 

Nico: Something good had to have my hand broken, besides my schedules have been a little crazy lately. 

 

Link: At least I have Levi. 

 

Nico: Eh? 

 

Link: I mean, it's been a great help, it's like my own Oompa Loompa, I saw him humming while filling in the charts. 

 

Nico: It helps him to concentrate. Do not call him that. 

 

Link: Munchkin, better? 

 

Nico looks tired, while Link raises his hands in surrender. 

 

Link: I have known all your boyfriends - Nico makes a gesture with his hand to say that to almost everyone-, good to the important ones, and I have to tell you that Levi has my blessing to go out with you. 

 

Nico: Wow, thanks for something I did not ask for. 

 

Link: He is the best of all your boyfriends that I have known, you get the best of you when you are with him. you are more human. 

Nico: Human? 

Link: Normally you are very cold with patients, you mark distances, sometimes you look like a robot, always unperturbed, impassive, calm, but when you are with him, you are more empathetic, compassionate, sometimes you even make jokes. 

I like this version of you the happy Nico, not the sad and depressing you were in L.A. when you were with whom I can not name. 

Nico: I was not sad or depressed. 

Link: No, not at all - he says ironically - do you remember when he gives you crabs? Or when you found out he was cheating on you with others? Or when he kicked you out of the apartment you shared and kept your things? 

 

Nico: I got it. I love him. 

 

Link: I know, did he knows? 

 

Nico: No. I don´t wanna make him freak out. Enough of me, what about you and Dahlia? 

 

Link: Dahlia and me? 

 

Nico impersonates Link: I escort you to your home. 

 

Link: I don´t talk like that, besides Taryn was there. 

 

Nico: You like Dahlia? 

 

Link: She is a very intelligent woman. 

 

Nico: And she is pretty. 

 

Link: Yes, she is. 

 

Nico: And...? 

 

Link: She is a first-year resident, and I don´t know she seems very religious and I like sex. 

 

Nico: You are shallow. 

 

Link: Yes, but it´s complicated you know, she faces racism every day, the other day we were at the pit, and an older man called her terrorist, only because she wears hijab, and I didn´t know how to react. 

But she was cool, you know, she ignored him, made her job the better she can and moved on working. 

Nico: In my experience interracial relationship are never easy, but if the person is right, worth fight for.  
But that´s something you should find out.

Link sighs: i don´t know man, what if it´s only a physical atraction?, i don´t wanna hurt her.

Nico: Then stop flirting with her, be professional, date other women, and if after all you still feel the same about her, ask her for a date.

Link: That´s lame.

Nico: That was one of your never asked advice.

Link: shut up Kim and watch the game.

Nico laughs and thorws Link a coushion.


	16. Casey. Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Casey has health issues

Casey has two hours to finish his shift, he was called by Chief Bailey. Runs to the emergency room, his breathing is fast. Dr. Bailey: Casey with me and Dr. Altman. 

A stretcher with an unconscious young woman passes, after a long time practicing CPR resuscitation, the girl dies. 

Casey starts coughing, feels short of breath and ends up coughing up blood. 

Dr: Altman: Parker sit -start to do an exam, the electrocardiogram, blood pressure. 

Casey faints on the stretcher. 

 

.................................................. ... 

 

Casey regains consciousness: What happened? 

 

Dr. Altman: Parker, you're calm. You have a pulmonary embolism, I want to perform some tests, a CT scan. 

Do you have any history of heart disease in your family? 

 

Casey looks at Dr.Bailey, she's the only one in the whole hospital who knows her condition. 

 

Dr. Bailey nods lightly indicating to Parker to trust Dr. ALtman. 

 

Casey closes her eyes, looks at the ceiling a tear falls, it is still difficult for him to tell his story, he has suffered rejection before: I'm, I'm transitioning. 

I have a hormonal implant. 

 

Dr. Altman takes him by the hand: You're very brave and do not worry that your secret is safe with me. 

And as soon as we have the results of the blood test, and the scanner, we will decide if you only need anticoagulant treatment or surgery. 

 

Casey asks worriedly: Has anyone else found out that I'm sick? 

 

Dr. Bailey: Nobody else, the night has been translucent and there were not many people in the emergency room. 

Casey asks permission to get up, removes the electrodes and puts on the scrubs top. 

Dr. Altman: But you do not move from here, you still have to do the scan. 

 

After the tests were done Dr. Altman suggests that the best option for Casey is thrombolysis with catheter assistance, inserting a tube to break the clot or to administer the medication through the tube. 

The dr. Bailey reserves an operating room, only she dr. Altman and the anesthetist are present. 

 

.................................................. ... 

 

Casey wakes up in the hospital room, her friends are there. 

 

Dahlia: Hello sleeping beauty. 

 

Taryn wipes a tear: You gave us a good scare, luckily Chelsea warned us. 

 

Casey: Chelsea? 

Levi: The intern with whom she has sex, did you really think that we would not know that you were admitted? 

Casey: Guys, I ... 

Dahlia: Rest now, when you are discharged we will talk with a good dinner that you will pay us. 

 

Casey nods thinking about the best way to open up with his friends, it's time to tell his story.


	17. Casey. Part II

Casey was in his hospital bed, while Levi makes him company. 

 

Levi: My intern is the worst, he had to do a rectal exam and instead ended up giving a prostate massage to an 80-year-old man. 

 

Casey: Oh, that´s a lie. 

 

Levi laughs: It´s not, Bailey fired him, and I had to clean up everything, they don´t pay me enough, but the man went with a big smile on his face, so ... 

 

A woman knocks the door of Casey´s room, she is dark blond hair in a bun, 61 inches tall and fit: Hi. 

 

Casey: Why have you come? Who has warned you? 

 

\- Somebody called me a Dr. Bailey, he told me that you had to have surgery. I have asked for permission. 

 

Casey: It was not necessary, I'm fine that's why I did not call you. 

 

Levi clears his throat, Casey looks at him. 

 

\- Excuse me, I've been rude, I'm Captain Liza Blanchard, Casey's girlfriend. 

 

Levi: Levi. 

 

Liza: Casey talks about his friends at the hospital all the time. Curious that I have not known you until now. - Looks at her boyfriend who looks bored. 

 

Liza: I've been trying to come all to dinner for a year. 

 

Levi: Casey is reserved. 

 

Casey: ok, I'm the worst. 

 

Levi: I'm going for a coffee. 

 

Levi leaves the couple alone. 

 

Liza: Are you going to tell me what happened? 

….............................................................................................................................................. ....... 

 

 

Liza sits down and brings the chair to the bed: When I got the call that you had to have surgery, I got really scared, and while driving on the way here I just thought about, please do not die, do not die. 

 

Casey: That's why I did not want to tell you anything, I know you're apprehensive, I did not want you to worry about anything, I'm fine. 

 

Liza takes her hand, kisses him: They have called me for a new destiny. 

 

Casey: Where is it this time? 

 

Liza: Al Udeid Air Base, one year. 

 

Casey: Qatar? 

 

Liza nods. 

 

Casey: It's only a year, it's not like we have not been separated before, we'll get over it. 

 

Liza: It's getting harder and harder. 

 

Casey: I know. 

 

Liza looks in her bag and pulls out a small red velvet box with a gold border, opens it: Marry me.

 

A smooth gold ring. 

 

Casey: Is this because you think I'm dying or are you going to Qatar? 

 

Liza: Are you silly? Do you really think that a ring like this one I bought in the chewing gumball machine? 

I've been thinking about getting married for a while. 

 

Casey: I had to ask. 

 

Liza: So? 

 

Casey: Yes. 

 

Liza kisses Casey: We have ten days to do it. 

 

.................................................. … 

 

Wedding day. 

Casey arrived at the courthouse accompanied by his parents and his younger brother soon joined by Levi. 

 

Casey: Why are you so nervous? 

 

Levi: why are not you nervous? 

 

Casey: I've never been so sure of anything in my entire life, except for my reassignment. 

 

Levi: In my family, there are not many traditions that go from father to son, but my grandfather left me when he dies - Levi opens a box with sapphire cufflinks - said they were for my wedding, I want them to be your something new, something old, something blue and something borrowed. 

 

Casey is excited she does not know what to say: Levi, I ... 

 

Levi: I'm the best man, I know that normally this is for the bride, but this can not do harm, right? 

 

Casey: Can you help me put them on? 

 

Levi helps to put the cufflinks: The new thing is the sapphires, the others were lost years ago. 

 

Casey smiles. 

 

A while later Taryn and Dahlia arrived accompanying Liza who was wearing her dress uniform. 

 

............................... 

 

After a brief ceremony in the court, Liza throws the bouquet, which Levi takes without hardly trying. 

 

Dahlia: That's not fair, he has a handsome boyfriend, and now he takes the bouquet. 

 

Levi: Here, I do not want to get married. 

 

Taryn: That does not work like that, you know the next wedding is yours. 

 

..........................................


	18. Nico gets hurt. Part I

Nico was in the O.R. for hours he was in surgery of a 3 y/o toddler who felt down of a 7th-floor balcony, the kid had signs of being under drugs, miraculous he survives the down, but has broken both legs and left arm, with Nico was Alex Karev. 

 

The kid’s heart starts to fail, but after they controlled, internal bleeding is revealed, and the kid is gone. 

 

Nico cries in the O.R., he was confident he could do the surgery. 

 

Dr.Karev: Dr. Kim, it’s not your fault, it’s his parents' fault, they should be taken care best, you do your best but sometimes it not enough, they look at me, take some rest and I handle this. 

 

Nico goes out the O.R., every step he was forward of it, angrier than he was before, he goes to an on-call room and starts to punch the door, Nico feels his bones crack. 

 

Levi hears hits on the door, carefully he opens and watches in the dark someone sitting on a bed: Nico? 

 

Nico lifts his head, clean with his hand the tears falling from his eyes: Oh, it´s you. 

Levi: Are you OK? What happened to you? 

Levi sits on the floor, Nico wakes up and goes to the door, he has the handler of the door ready to go outside. 

Nico: Nothing – he tries to open the door but his hand hurts.- 

Levi listens Nico complaining, he quietly stands up, approaches him, takes Nico’s hand for the forearm, and put gently on his left hand before starts to examine. 

Levi: You hit the damn door, I’m sure it deserves, doors always smug about being hard like it was made from wood or something – Nico chuckles-. 

Levi pulls Nico to a bed and sit: Does it hurt if I do this?. 

Nico screams in pain and tries to take off his hand but Levi is strong and doesn't let him. 

Levi: You are an idiot an ortho surgeon who broke the 3rd, 4th and 5th metacarpal of your right hand, what a genius, I’ll page Link. 

Nico stays sit, Levi sees a tear falling through Nico’s face. 

Levi hugs Nico: Hey, it’s not so terrible, I do first your and x-ray to confirm, maybe I’m wrong. 

Nico rest his head in Levi’s shoulder: No you are right, I feel when they broke. 

Levi: And still you were punching the door. 

Nico: A kid died on my table, he felt from a 7th floor and has signs of drug abuse, he only was 3. 

Levi: It’s terrible, but you know, we can not save everyone, and sometimes you had to punch the doors, but with boxing gloves, come on I’ll take you to the x-ray. 

Nico: I need a moment, I don't want everybody sees me cry. 

Levi nodded, Nico, hide his head between Levi’s neck and collar bone, Nico notices Levi scent, is a mix of gel shower, deodorant, antibacterial hospital, and a little bit of sweat, Nico put his nose near Levi’s neck, and take a long sniff, then put his left hand on Levi’s knee and squees at the same time his kisses Levi’s neck, knowing it was Levi´s soft spot. 

Nico stops and look at Levi’s eyes he wants to apologize not the time and place to do that, but before he can open his mouth, Levi’s soft lips are kissing him, Nico opens his mouth and their tongues tangled, Levi sits on Nico’s lap. Nico’s left-hand rub Levi’s back, he tries to lie back Levi on the bed, but a bleeping sound interrupts. 

Levi had to go to the pit: I have to go, you go now to the x-ray, or I’ll kick your ass. 

 

Levi runs, Nico smiles. 

E.R. 

Levi calls Nico. 

Nico: You miss me already. 

Levi: Shut up, how are you? 

Nico: Your diagnosis was correct, I need a cast. 

Levi: Oh, fuck I’ll call Link. 

Nico: Why don´t you come over here and do it? 

Levi has put thing the cast to Nico. 

Nico: Why aren't you talking?. 

Levi: I´m mad at you, so you better shut up, I had to call Link, and he is fucking mad. 

Nico: I told not to... 

Link arrives were Nico and Levi are and dismisses Levi: I take care of this, not a resident who does not the difference between a finger for a toe. 

Levi goes to E.R. 

Nico: He was doing fine with my hand. 

Link: Stop defending your boyfriend. 

Levi is working in the ER, the thing starts to smooth, Dr. Webber calls Levi. 

Dr. Webber: Schmitt go home, rest, and tomorrow you are on ortho. 

Levi: Yes sir. 

Levi comes out of the hospital and sitting on a bank is Nico. 

Levi: What are you doing still here?. 

Nico: Waiting for you, besides I can't drive. 

Levi: I´ll take you home, give me your keys, my car is broken. 

Levi drops Nico in his apartment. 

Nico: Are you still mad? 

Levi: Yes, no, well maybe a little, it’s just I worried about you, What if your hand doesn´t heal properly?, What if your hand needs surgery?, What if... 

Nico: Stop, I know, I know my hand will be fine don´t worry.


	19. Nico gets hurt. Part II

During the following days Levi was at Link service, normally easy-going Link, was tense, nervous, grumpy, because of Nico´s leave he was flooded with work, and some surgeries had to be delayed. 

 

Levi: Dr. Link, I finish the preops, checked the post-ops, and finish the paperwork. 

 

Link: All the paperwork? -Levi nodded-, impressive, I was way behind. 

 

Levi: Dr. Webber grounded one-month doing paperwork, and I used to do it quickly. 

 

Link: OK; scrub up, I had a knee replacement, let´s see if you are as skilled with the blade, as you are with the pen. 

 

OR. 

 

Link: I'm finished, close up Levi. 

 

Levi: Are you sure?. 

 

Link: Do it, I´m going to OR 2 when you finish look for me. 

 

Levi: Yes sir. 

 

Levi was all day from one OR to another. 

 

Link: How are you? 

 

Levi: Exhausted, but it so good. 

 

Link: Have you talk to Nico lately? 

 

Levi: No since.., Monday I guess?, I´ve been very busy with work. 

 

Link: He is not answering my calls. 

 

Levi: I will go to his house after my shift finish. 

 

Link: Thank you. 

 

 

Nico´s apartment. 

 

Levi knocks the door, Nico opens it, he is a train wreck, his apartment dirty, messy, darker. 

 

Levi: How are you? 

 

Nico: It hurts a lot. 

 

Levi enters in the apartment: Are you taking your medicines? What this smell? - Levi sniff around- Oh it´s you, how many days do you have without taking a shower? 

 

Nico: What do you want?. 

 

Levi: I´m worried, you don´t answer your phone or text, Link is worried too. 

 

Levi goes to Nico´s bathroom, and fill the bathtub: Now, you get it in, I´ll pick up your mess, then we order the dinner and you take your pain killers. 

 

Nico starts to undress, but the t-shirt gets stuck, Levi helps him, Nico is in his underwear Levi left him alone, and start to clean the living room that is full of food containers, then he goes to Nico bedroom, change the sheets suddenly Levi hears a blow and Nico screaming in pain. 

 

Levi runs to the bathroom, he sees Nico on the floor naked. 

 

Nico: I slipped. 

 

Levi grabs a towel: Are you Ok? do you break something else?. 

 

Nico: No, the only hurt is my ego. 

 

Levi: Then it´s nothing to worry about. 

 

Levi helps Nico to get up, he left Nico put clothes on him. 

 

By the time he leaves his bedroom, Levi cleans his house and have the dinner ready. 

 

Levi: You need help, you can´t stay alone by yourself. 

 

Nico: Ok, you are welcome to stay. 

 

Levi: Me? No, I´was thinking in your mother. 

 

Nico: No, please no. 

 

Levi: you need help. 

 

Nico: why not you?. 

 

Levi: I can´t take care of you, I work. 

 

Nico: I 'll help you come on. 

 

Levi: Ok, I´ll stay until you recover. 

 

After dinner Levi gives Nico the pain killers, then they study some procedures, and Nico gives some advice to help Levi with Link. 

 

At bedtime Levi was asleep deeply, Nico did not find the posture so he decided to cuddle with Levi, his hand with the cast around Levi´s waist, Nico leg over him, Nico’s crotch tight to Levi´s ass, and how he breaths onto Levi´s ear - Nico whispers: I love you- 

 

Levi tries to escape Nico embraces carefully, but he hasn't succeeded and wakes up him. 

 

Nico: What are you doing? 

 

Levi: I have to work, and pee, and shower, and… 

 

Locker room 

 

Levi arrives in a hurry. 

 

Casey: Someone seems to be doing the shame of walking. 

 

Dahlia and Taryn watch Levi. 

 

Taryn: You had sex last night. 

 

Levi: Could you ask a little bit louder, I think there someone in a little village in China who doesn’t Hear you. And no I don't have sex, I helped Nico he can't do things for his own. 

 

Dahlia: It’s nice you help your boyfriend. 

 

Levi: he is not my boyfriend, it´s just Nico. 

 

Dr. Webber enters and everybody shut up: Come on people we had the rounds. 

 

After the rounds, Levi goes with Link. 

 

Levi: Yesterday I was with Nico. 

 

Link: And how is he?. 

 

Levi: A mess, like a big baby, that can´t do things for his own, he is so stubborn, doesn’t want help from his family, so he asked me to stay with him until he gets better. Why don´t you come with me and you see him?


	20. Dahlia. Part II

Dahlia ends her shift, she is waiting at the hospital´s doors waiting. 

It´s been a bitch tonight, I mean the rain. Are you waiting for your friends? 

Dahlia smiles: No, Taryn has the night shift, and Levi´s end in five hours, I´m waiting for this rain stop. So I can reach the bus stop. 

Link: Or I can give you a lift to your house. - Link takes off his black leather jacket, gives it to Dahlia who covers her head with it, and he does the same with his backpack. He comes out and holds out his hand to her, they both run out under the heavy rain of Seattle until they reach the car-. 

Dahlia: I´m so drenched. 

Link takes the jacket and left on the back sit: Where do you live? 

Dahlia gives him her address. 

After 15 minutes, they arrive at Dahlia apartment. 

Dahlia: Thank you, you wanna come in, you are so wet and you should dry your clothes. 

Link: I’m fine, trust me, besides my home, is not far away from here and I have my car, don’t worry. 

Dahlia: Well, then Thank you for the lift. 

Dahlia is in her apartment: I should invite him to a drink maybe tomorrow. 

She takes off her hijab, she loosens her wet hair and takes off her clothes, goes to the bathroom takes a long shower. 

Her phone rings is a text from her parents they are coming. 

After dinner alone, she starts to clean the apartment. 

Levi enters un his apartment and sees Dahlia sleeping in the couch, he takes a blanket and covers her. Dahlia wakes up. 

Levi: Sorry. 

Dahlia: It’s ok, what Are you doing here? 

Levi: I live here. 

Dahlia: I thought you were staying with Nico. 

Levi: tonight is his father birthday, and he is staying there. 

Dahlia: My parents are coming next month. 

Levi: Finally, I’m going to meet them. 

Dahlia: Levi ... my parents are very traditional and I have not told them that I share my apartment with a boy. 

Levi: Excuse me, what? 

Dahlia: Look, It took a lot of time for my parents to accept that I wanted to study medicine and even more to move to another state. Then, when I was looking for an apartment, the condition was that it was with the girls, and that was how we were Taryn and me, and Carla, the flight attendant. When Carla moved and you came, I did not tell them anything. 

Levi: So I'm Carla. 

Dahlia: For them, you are Taryn's boyfriend. 

Levi opens his eyes surprised. 

Dahlia: Taryn got scared and ... 

Are you mad? 

Levi: No, I understand you, you're in the closet, that's why you have to lie about your life. Let me tell you something, in my experience, lying is not the solution, you only postpone the inevitable, Dahlia, you are an adult woman, intelligent and self-sufficient, you can not be the little girl afraid of disappointing her parents, because not a way to live, you can not spend your life on tiptoes or making your life choices in base of what your parents would approve or not, think about it. 

Levi gives him a kiss on the forehead, a pat on the knee and goes to sleep.

Next day.

Nico is complaining about the itching of his cast. 

Levi: Please, stop being a baby, take I buy you a knitting needle. 

Nico: Thank you, babe, I promise I´ll make up to you. - He starts scratching. 

Levi: I´m hungry, are you hungry?, there´s a French restaurant nearby, I´ll invite you and talk. 

 

Nico sighs: OK. 

 

Levi: You like escargots, and frog legs –Nico grimace- I´m kidding. 

 

Levi: Yesterday, I was talking to Dahlia, she was worried because her parents will come next month. 

Nico: And what is her problem? 

 

Restaurant. 

 

Nico looks at Levi waiting for some explanations. 

 

Levi: Her parents don´t know she is living with a man, especially a gay one or a lesbian, so Taryn came up with this fairly terrible idea, Dahlia told her parents Taryn and I are a couple, and the third roomie is a woman a flight attendant always busy. 

 

Nico: And are you Ok with that lie? 

 

Levi: Yes, I don´t like to lie them, but she is in the closet, not a gay one, but … 

 

Nico: I get it. 

 

Levi: So, when they come, please, could you help her? 

 

Nico: Yes, I´ll be your roommate. 

Levi: Thank you. 

Nico: Don´t worry, I´ll don´t help you for free, you are going to be my sex slave the rest of your life. 

Levi: Fair enough.


	21. Nico gets hurt. Part III

It´s been four weeks since Levi takes care of Nico, they were living together, and sleeping in the same bed with Nico cuddle from time to time and no having sex. 

 

Levi was exhausted after a long shift at Dr. Altman, he was dragging his feet out of the lobby when he sees Nico sit on a bench. 

 

Nico watches Levi walking, he smiles him, and say Hi, with the left hand. 

 

Levi: What are you doing here? 

 

Nico shakes his right hand, cast free: I´ll think we need to celebrate, I´ll take you to dinner, and no is not an answer. 

 

Levi: I can’t I have plans. 

 

Nico: You can cancel, I’m sure Taryn and the others don’t mind. 

 

Levi: It’s no with them, I told you my mom is having a party for the 35th anniversary of her law firm's foundation. 

 

Nico -disappointed-I: Yes, sorry I forgot, send me pictures when you're dressed in the suit. 

 

It´s early morning Levi opens Nico's apartment door, he's dressed in a tuxedo, in one hand he has two glasses and in the other a bottle of champagne. 

 

Levi goes to Nico's bedroom, leans on the doorjamb, puts on his most seductive pose, turns on the light. 

 

Nico who was sleeping face down wakes up disheveled and sleepy looks at Levi. 

 

Levi: Hello sexy. 

 

Nico smiles: Hi, handsome. 

 

Levi goes to the bed, puts the glasses on the bedside table and opens the bottle of champagne. 

 

Levi: Did you really think I was not going to celebrate with you that your hand is healed? 

 

Nico: Your hair is ... 

 

Levi: Be careful what you are going to say, that you can run out of fingers. 

 

Nico: Crunchy. 

 

Levi laughs 

 

Nico: Where did you get the champagne? 

 

Levi: I stole it from catering. 

 

Nico: Naughty boy. Did you have a good time at the party? 

 

Levi gives the cup to Nico and they toast: The party has been fine until my mother tried to match me with 5 lawyers, I swear it seemed like I was in a Bachelor´s episode. So I said I'm with you, well not with you, but knowing someone. 

 

Levi: Let’s make a toast, for our last night living together. 

 

Nico toast and go to sleep: I start working early in the morning, good night. 

 

Next day Nico starts to work again, he is pretty upset. 

 

Link: What’s going on? 

 

Nico: Nothing. 

 

Link: Then, why are you surly today with patients? 

 

Nico: I’m sick of it, I try and try and try, and he …, nothing. 

 

Link: This is because of Levi? -Nico nod- 

 

Nico: Right now, he is packing to go home, I don´t understand why he doesn´t stay. 

 

Link: He moves with you to help you, you are now ok, he left, so if you want him to stay ask him. 

 

Nico´s Apartment. 

 

Levi is waiting for Nico. 

 

Nico opens the door: What are you doing here?, I thought you´re leaving. 

 

Levi: I´m but I wanted to talk to you, Why are you mad? 

 

Nico: I´m not mad. 

 

Levi: Yes you are, have you heard your tone when you speak to me? so spit it out. 

 

Nico: Why? 

 

Levi: Why what? 

 

Nico: Why don´t you wanna move with me? 

 

Levi: First you didn´t ask, second it too soon for that, I barely move from my mother basement to my apartment – Nico makes a disappointed face- I move here to help you, it´s not like I'm not coming to spend time with you, make dinner, have fun. 

Nico: You only want me for sex? 

Levi: We have mind-blowing sex, yes. I´m having the best sex in my entire life, again yes. I only want you for sex, no. 

Nico, I love you, and maybe it's too soon to say it out loud, or maybe you're not there and I do not want you to say it because you feel forced or you lie to me saying you love me, I do not care. For the first time in my life, I imagine you and me older on a swing on our porch, so I do not want to rush things. 

Nico: You love me? 

Levi: Let´s no make a big deal of it, OK. 

Nico: You love me and it´s not a big deal. 

Levi: I did not have to have said it, now you're freaking out. 

Nico: I´m not freaking out, it´s I don´t understand how are you so sure you are in love with me? 

Levi: Because in our third date, we were walking to my car holding hands, you were smiling, your eyes shone like black amber, and you kissed me, and my heart stopped, literally, it skipped a heartbeat, and everything around us faded away during that moment there´s only you and me on earth. And I never feel like that before. 

Nico: I know the feeling, and I don´t say it because I´m lying to you, I know that feeling and not because I'm lying, or because I feel forced, it's because I love you Levi, and I can not stop staring at you, you're always in my mind, I love your quirks, I feel like I'm high. And I've been telling you, that I love you every night after you fall asleep, so you do not get scared. -Nico pulls Levi closer and grabs Levi's wrist, takes the pulse and makes Levi do the same on his wrist and kiss him. - See my heart also skip a heartbeat. 

Levi smiles and kisses Nico. 

Nico: So is official we are boyfriends. 

Levi: Yes, it´s not a big difference everybody knows at the hospital. 

Nico: Our families don´t. 

Levi: Are you suggesting that we tell our moms? 

Nico: Yes. 

Levi rests his head on Nico´s chest and hugs him. 

Nico: So best sex of your life? 

Levi: Maybe I need a reminder, just in case, I don´t wanna lie. 

Nico takes Levi in his arms and takes him to bed.


	22. Meet the parents

A few days later they organize a brunch in Nico´s apartment. 

Nico´s family is in the apartment. 

 

Nico´s mom Nina, Nancy the middle sister, Nora the younger and his father. 

 

Levi was driving his mom to Nico apartment. 

 

Sara: And where we are going? 

 

Levi parks the car take a deep breath: To a brunch, and before you say something please keep your mind open and your mouth shut, please. 

 

Levi introduces the key in the door and opens it. 

 

Nico´s family stops talking and stare at Levi and his mom. 

 

Levi walks to Nico, they hold hands. 

Nico: We have something to say -Levi look at Nico and smiles- 

Levi: We are boyfriends. 

Nico´s mom covers her mouth with her hands, moved. 

Levi´s mom smiles pleased with the couple. 

Nico´s father hugs them, and his sisters laugh while they whisper among themselves. 

Nico P.O.V. 

Nora: So who is the woman? 

Nico: Nora... 

Levi: This..., us don´t work like that. 

Nora: Ok, so how it works, because Nico never tells, which of you puts the sausage in the other´s bun? 

Nancy: It´s obvious that is Levi´s bun, he is the younger, smaller and in no very good shape. 

Nico covers his face with his hands ashame of his sisters. 

Levi: That no how it works, but if you are so curious I´ll explain, but no here, too many ears. -Levi takes them apart near the window, Nico wants to go with them but his parents, Nico watch Levi speaks quietly, making a gesture with his hands, one of the movements he performs is with the index finger and the middle finger, penetrating in a circle made with the fingers of the other hand. 

Nico can´t stop looking without paying attention to what they say, Nico's sisters have blushed. 

Nora: I've had enough. 

Nancy: he's sick 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

Levi starts to speak to Nico´s sisters: I'm going to say this once and I'm not going to repeat it, it's not polite to ask who is the top or who is the bottom. And if you do it again I'll have to tell your parents that Nancy rented her house for a porn movie, yes Nancy I knew about that, or how Nora l put laxatives in Mr. Ackles´s food, to copy in the exam. One last thing - Levi starts gesturing the prostate massage – this is how you keep your man happy. 

 

After their families are gone. Levi is washing the dishes, Nico hugs him from behind, kisses his hair: What do you do to my sisters? they have never been so quiet. 

Levi: I explain that is not polite to ask who is the top or the bottom. 

Nico: And why both of them, whisper in my ear that I need to break up with you as soon as possible? 

Levi: Maybe I know their secrets and they want their secrets to remain secrets for you and your parents. 

Nico: Blackmailing my sisters, I never thought that it was a possibility. 

Levi: On the other hand your parents love me. 

Nico: Yes they do, and your mom loves me too, but not change the subject tell me my sister´s secrets. 

Levi: If you want to blackmail them, get your own dirt. 

 

Levi´s phone rings: Hey mom, No tomorrow I can´t I work all day, on Thursday I can. Yes bye, I love you. 

Levi to Nico: That´s weird she sounds desperate. 

Nico: Do you think it´s something about me? 

Levi: No she loves you.


	23. Headache

Levi is lying on the couch alone in the dark when Nico enters the apartment. 

Nico: Hey baby, why are you doing like this? 

Levi: I have a headache, I was with my mom at her house and then your mother came in, -Nico is in the kitchen eating an apple- and they are planning a barbecue this weekend, and they make it clear that it is mandatory. 

Nico: ok - walks over to the couch and sits next to Levi who puts his legs on Nico. 

Levi: Oh, I almost forgot that your mother asked me if we preferred a wedding in May or June. Are we engaged and I did not know? 

Nico: what are you talking about? 

Levi: She has this crazy idea of what you propose to me. 

Nico chuckled: oh. 

Levi: Oh, that's all you have to say, wait, are you going to propose it? 

Nico: of course not. No offense. 

Levi: Then, why does she think that? 

Nico: Well, the other day we were talking on the phone and she asked me how serious we are. 

I tell her pretty serious, that maybe in a couple of months you will move with me. 

Levi: just that? 

Nico: Something like that, I said, I would like to marry you and have children. 

Levi is open-mouthed: better clarify this, because I do not think the barbecue is something informal, they may have prepared a whole engagement party. 

And if you think I'll spend two months of my life choosing the invitations, the tablecloths, the cutlery, the crockery, the menus, the cake, the music, the guest list, the plane of the seats, the flowers -Levi stop talking and take a little air- 

 

Nico: Stop, okay, I'm talking to explain this misunderstanding, now I understand your headache. Have you been thinking about this since they left? 

Levi: Yes. I was going crazy looking for a way to reject your proposal without you feeling hurt. 

Nico: Do not you want to get married? 

Levi: No, at least now, I have 3 years of residency, then fellowship, and when I finish, I do not even know if I'll end up working in the Grey Sloan Memorial or in a hospital across the country, and you have your job here, It is complicated and who knows if in 5 years we will be together. 

Nico: Wow, you know how to make your boy feel special. 

Levi: And now you get angry. 

Nico: yes 

Levi: Do you want to get married? 

Nico: Yes, someday I would like to get married, have children, a house with a garden and a white fence. 

Levi: children? 

Nico: Don´t you want to have children either? 

 

Levi: Not now. I have always thought that I would consider all this when I had a more stable life. 

I'm going to sleep. 

Levi: Nico wait. 

Nico: Can we talk tomorrow, okay? 

 

Nico gets into bed, Levi is at the door walks to the bed and sits down 

Levi: Do you prefer that I go to my house, sleep on the couch or with you? 

Nico does not answer. 

Levi: Okay, I'll go to sleep at my house, I love you. Look, it's not like I'm telling you that I'm never going to want to get married or have children, only that at the moment I want to develop my career, as you do, but if that's a problem, maybe you should break. 

Levi waits for Nico's reacting, but after a few minutes, he walks away from the apartment.


	24. Time´s up

GSM Lecture Room. 

 

Levi runs onto it, looking for his friends, they are on the third row, Dahlia is having a panic attack. 

"Oh my gosh, why is so many people here?, I’m gonna throw up” -Dahlia said concern- 

“Relax girl, you got this when you were on stage, just imagine people naked, it works I swear” 

"Don't listen to Taryn, you are great, so if you get nervous first take a deep breath, and releases slowly, and then look for us and imagine you are talking to us, just us” -Said a more sensitive Casey. 

Dahlia nod, Dr. Avery calls her, she goes. 

“Levi Schmitt, why are you so quiet this morning?” 

"Nico and I have an argument, and I don´t wanna talk about this, today is Dahlia´s big day, so we all focus on her, OK?.” 

They noded 

“Hey, why Link is here?” - Casey said trying to change the subject-. 

“He is with Dr. Pearce, maybe they came for cheer up Dr. Avery. Hey, we have seats here.” 

"What are you doing?” 

“Just in case he came for her, so …” 

“Yo are crazy, Taryn” 

Link and Maggie sit and smiles them. 

The conference starts, lights down, the speakers start. 

After one hour Dahlia takes the lead, she is nervous, doubtful, she feels her mouth dry, Taryn is praying for her friend, Dahlia follows Casey’s advice and breath, and starts talking looking at her friends, she froze after seeing Link, but she carries on. 

After the presentation, everyone greetings Dahlia, Link makes a silent exit. 

Dahlia read a text message in her phone, and smiles and before anyone can ask her, she tells them to leave the take coffee before the next presentation starts. 

 

“Guys, are you staying here for the robotic surgery?”- asked Dr. Pearce- 

 

“Yes, of course” 

 

"Sorry, I can´t Dr. Hunt need me in the pit.” -Levi leaves. 

 

"It´s exciting, this new technic Dr. Wagner it´s doing.”- Said Dr. Pearce- “I knew her, we were interns together” 

 

After 4 hours of speaking and video demonstration, the conference over. 

 

Dr. Pearce is talking to a woman, small less than 58 inches and thin, dark hair in a ponytail, with round glasses dressed in an impeccable navy blue suit, the conversation is entertaining, both laugh and you can see the appreciation you have for your gestures with each other when Levi interrupts them. 

 

Dr. Wagner: I think the exchange of ideas might be will be very beneficial for our programs. 

 

“Sorry for interrupt, Dr. Pearce, you need to watch this”. - Levi handles the tablet to her-. 

 

“This is huge.” 

“An 8 y/o girl” -he adds- 

“Let’s go, Beth do you want to jump in?” 

 

Dr. Wagner follows them. 

 

After examination. 

 

“Dr. Schmitt, what we got?” – ask Dr. Pearce showing her colleague how Grey Sloan Memorial teach their residents-. 

 

“A thymoma associate to a myasthenia gravis – he answered quickly, - treatment includes Thymodectomy and chemo” 

“Book an OR and prepare the patient” – ordered Dr. Pearce- 

Levi has finished preparing the patient. 

“ We have to delay it, Dr. Grey has an emergency in her OR” 

“Mags, I could do it, with the assistance of this young man, if that's okay.” 

“Fine, but you must Chief Bailey has to give you privileges. Schmitt accompanies her to the office, and Beth doesn’t call me ever again Mags”. 

Levi begins to walk followed by Dr. Wagner. After receiving privileges to perform the surgery from Dr. Bailey, they go to the operating room. 

“Dr. Schmitt, have you study the procedure?” -ask Dr. Wagner-. 

“Yes” 

Dr. Wagner hands the scalpel to Levi- “ You can start” 

“ Sure?” - 

“ Yes, this is the way I train my residents in New York, putting the knowledge into practice, supervising the work of the residents and helping when necessary. Now careful ...” 

Levi is doing pretty well the surgery by himself while receiving some instructions from Dr. Wagner when she asked “Medical magazines will fight for your article” 

“My article?.” 

“This -referring to the thymoma- is extraordinary rare in kids, you write one, you will get a lot of attention in the profession, and don´t forget to add to your CV”. 

“Thanks -Levi feels short of words, thanks to that woman he is performing surgery in an extremely rare case, and she is giving him valuables lessons about his career- 

“And tell me Dr. Schmitt, have you chosen specialty?” 

“Well, I like Ortho, and General is fine, I guess” 

“That doesn´t sound..., Don´t get me wrong, but when I talked to other doctors how they chose their specialty, almost everyone defines it as falling in love, and you don´t sound convinced, t is OK, you have time” 

Levi takes out the thymoma. 

“Beautiful” - Dr. Wagner impressed by the size of the tumor- And Dr. Schmitt you should think in what I said. 

After the surgery Levi is super excited, he is talking in the corridors with Dr. Wagner, he is happy laughing, Dr. Wagner puts a hand on Levi's shoulder, and gives him a little massage, they exchange phone numbers 

Dr. Wagner goes to find Maggie Pearce, but she looks to Levi and asks - “Have you considered changing GSM program to mine?- 

 

Nico was avoiding Levi since last night, his boyfriend is immature with Peter Pan syndrome now he can see that clear, all his nerdiness, the D&D, the cartoons he watches on tv, not wanting to live together, or marrying or having kids, and Levi´s words from last night, still turn to him, they should break up. 

 

Nico watches Levi from the distance he is talking to the parents of kids, explaining the proceded, he goes to a consult. 

 

Next time he sees Levi, is on his way to the OR, talking to an unknown woman and the girl in the gurney. Nico made his way to the gallery spies on Levi. 

 

Nico is amazed by Levi, how he is explaining step by step what he is doing, justifying every decision, answer to the question that doctor throws at him, Nico glimpses the great surgeon Levi will become with the right direction, then again Levi´s words from last night came back to his mind again. 

 

Nico waits Levi be alone and takes Le him to an On-Call room. 

 

Levi locks the door “Are you OK after what happened last night?.” 

"Yes, I want to apologize, it wasn´t fair for you to that I blame you for not wanting to marry, and you are right”. 

Levi is so excited his fingers entangled with Nico´s hair, and gets a little bit closer- "Apology accepted, sir” - Levi kisses Nico, but the taller man pushes him away. 

“Was wrong?” -asked Levi confused- 

“Levi, wait please, I love you, Did you hear me?, I love you, you are my best friend, my soul mate, and yesterday you were right, you have 3 years of resident, your fellowship, and find a job as an attending, breaking up it´s gonna happen sooner or later. 

I saw you in the OR, and I could see you how greater surgeon you will become, but not here, no in Seattle, and definitely no with me –Levi is going to talk, but Nico doesn´t let him- let me finish, please. 

You have been doing good, but today with Dr. Wagner you did great, and I realize that I´m holding you back”. 

“What?, That´s not true” 

“Levi, I know it isn´t completely true, you also sabotage yourself, you have this safety net here, Seattle is your city, you have your mom, your friends, me. You should accept the offer and go to New York” 

“And you are breaking up with me, for my own good” 

“Yes”. 

“What if I don´t want to go to New York? 

“You want, I see you how your eyes shone when she told you about change to her program. Tell me that you didn´t picture yourself in New York, Levi opportunities like that don´t show up frequently, you have to take it, call that woman and say yes.” 

“So this is goodbye?” 

“JUst until we cross path again”


	25. A Hard Day's Night

Taryn runs through the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial to interns' locker rooms, sees Chelsea picking up things from their locker. 

“What the hell happened?-” she asks troubled- 

"Dr. Webber fired me. -answer the redhair with tears in her eyes- I kill someone”. 

Taryn comes near to her girlfriend and hugs her. 

“Don´t touch me” - Chelsea abruptly departs from Taryn-. 

Taryn tries again to comfort her and rubs her arm. 

“I said don´t touch me, are you so stupid that you don´t understand me?”. 

“I´m sorry – said the blonde doctor truly touched by the pain his girlfriend is feeling- I´m just... Tell me what you need, ok “. 

“I need you to leave me alone, please just leave me alone”. _ Chelsea finishes picking up her locker and heads to the door, she sighs, and takes a last look at the locker room- 

Taryn feels that her eyes are filled with tears makes an effort so that Chelsea does not watch her crying, she tries to speak but has a lump in the throat, and her voice doesn´t come out. 

She sits on the floor and leans her back in the lockers, and her forehead on her knees. 

 

Levi leaves the On-call room the gears in his head are spinning without control, hundreds of thoughts crossing his mind should he stays or move to New York? Could a long distance relationship works?, What if Nico look for an attending position in New York? Maybe if he asks Nico to live together things will be fixing, How is possible derail so fast a relationship? 

Levi passes in front of the locker room and sees Taryn crying in silence. He sits next to her “You look like crap”. 

“Look who´s talking”- she answers after lifts her head and watches Levi´s face-. 

“Nico dump me” 

“Well I think Chelsea also left me” - She cleans her tears, Levi gave her a paper tissue and she blows her nose- “Why he break up with you?” 

“For my own good, he thinks I´m holding me back by staying here in Seattle, that I need to spread my wings and move to New York” - he sighs- “What about you”. 

“She kills a patient, Dr. Webber fired her. I´m tired of thinking” 

Dahlia is in the door listening in silence, Casey arrives and breaks the silence “Come on let´s go to Joe´s, there's a beer with our names”. 

Levi stands up and gives his hand to help Taryn. 

 

OoOoOoO OoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoO OoOoOoO OoOoOoO 

 

 

Dahlia, Casey, Levi, and Taryn are outside the hospital, they walk. 

 

Taryn: Death by chocolate is the best for heartache. 

Levi: I prefer tequila. 

 

-”Hello honey” –said a woman with hijab- 

 

"Mom, Dad?, What are you doing here?” - a surprise Dahlia looks for help to her friends. 

 

“We told you, that we were coming to see you, today”. - replies Aein, Dahlia´s mother visibly annoyed because her daughter has forgotten their visit. 

 

“Don´t worry pumpkin, We know you´ve been busy”.- Soroush, Dhalia´s father, tries to bring peace between them-. 

 

"Hi, how has the flight gone?” - Taryn asks trying to be polite, and helping her friend to redirect the conversation to other topics- 

 

“Oh, very good, thanks for asking. Is this your boyfriend Taryn?” 

 

Taryn kisses Levi “Yes ma´am, he is”. 

 

“What? you are lesbian and he is gay”. - Casey screws up Dahlia´s alibi. 

 

“What´s happening sweetheart? - Dahlia´s father asks. 

 

"It´s my fault I´ve been lying to you, and my friends were trying to help me, sorry, guys do you mind give me some privacy”. 

 

Levi and Taryn take Casey, “You screw up dude, you are going to pay our drinks tonight” 

 

OoOoOoO OoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoO OoOoOoO OoOoOoO 

 

Nico and Link are outside the hospital. 

 

“Hey, look there´s your boyfriend” - Link raises his arms to call Levi, but Nico stops him. 

 

“He is no longer my boyfriend, I break up with him”. 

 

“What?, Why?” -he gives a confused look to Nico- “I thought you are in the honeymoon phase lots of love, sex, and funny things”. 

 

“I…, I don´t know, today I watch him experience pure joy during surgery, I see how great surgeon he will become, and and – Nico starts to hyperventilate - 

 

“Hey, calm down” – he sees a bench near so he took Nico and both sit, Nico puts his head between his knees-. 

 

Link rubs Nico´s back “That´s it breathe, you are doing it well”. 

 

Nico slowly settle back- “I´m better now”. 

 

“That doctor is friend with Pearce offered him a position in his program and the only way to encourage him to make that choice is leaving him”. 

“Did you think in all the possibilities, like what if he fell in love in New York with another guy?, or you applying to a hospital in New York, your fellowship is about to end in a few months, there´s no need to break up, you silly moron”. 

“Thanks for the help Link, I just thought I was being selfless, a great gesture, you know *I love him enough to let him go*” 

“Bullshit, that only lets a lot of pain to him, to you, I told you what you are going to do, you go straight to Joe´s apologize to him, and give him the best kiss of his entire life”. 

OoOoOoO OoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoO OoOoOoO OoOoOoO 

 

Dahlia is talking to her parents “Do you think we are monsters?" 

“It cost me a lot convince you to let me study, and I was afraid, you don´t let me work her or leave ”. 

“Your dad and want you to study, we raise you to be a strong woman, we object because we are teaching you to defend yourself, for fight for your believes, for what you want, because nobody is going to give you anything and less being a woman and muslim”. 

“We are proud of you –her dad adds- we love you, now can we get something to eat?” 

Dahlia hugs her parents 

OoOoOoO OoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoO OoOoOoO OoOoOoO 

 

Joe´s 

Taryn is drinking like there's no tomorrow. 

“Easy, girl” -a concern Casey tries to stop Taryn. 

While Levi is focused on the label of his beer, tearing it piece by piece -” I think I´m going home, I´m not in the mood” 

Levi leaves the bar, right in front of him is Nico with Link, Nico waves his hand, Levi suppress the impulse of running and jump to him, he turns his back to Nico and crosses the street, he looks both sides of the road and starts crossing when a car hit him. 

Levi body crashes against the windshield, then his body rolls on the floor several meters, his head hit the floor a crack sound. 

“Levi” -Nico screams and runs to him, while Link is calling an ambulance, Nico reaches Levi, he isn´t breeding, Levi´s head is bleeding and he doesn´t respond to any stimulus, he stops breathing.


	26. Chapter 26

Sixteen hours after Levi´s surgery wakes up in the hospital room, Nico is sleeping in a chair in an awkward position, he tries to speak, but his throat is sore, his eyelids are heavy, and his right leg is killing him, he grins in pain trying to change his posture, Nico wakes up. 

 

“Hey, careful, let me help you -Nico stands up quickly- You scared the hell outta me”. 

 

“What, what happened?” -Levi asks confused- 

 

"Last night, -Nico starts to tell Levi what happened, he seems trouble, he sighs- you were run over, you have a skull fracture, and your right femur had a comminuted fracture Link, made a external fixation and also an internal with plates, nails and cerclage..., and Dr. Webber had to perform a splenectomy”. 

 

“Like me, it could be worst” - he tries to smile-. 

 

“I´m so sorry Levi, all this it´s my fault”. 

 

“Did you drive the car?” 

 

“You know, what I mean”. 

 

“You don´t be sorry, you were right I breaking up with me” 

 

“What?” - Nico replies surprise- 

 

“Yesterday, my head was spinning out of control thinking in all the possibilities, you were right, life is too short and I only need somebody to knock me down to realize, it´s true I´m holding me back in my comfort zone. As soon as I get well I will call Dr. Wagner an accept her offer”. 

 

“No -said Nico too confident- forget everything I said to you yesterday, I was wrong, I almost lost you, and – Levi tries to interrupt but Nico stops him- Levi, just listen to me, I can work here, or in New York or anywhere, but there´s only one Levi Schmitt, so I will follow you” 

 

“You said we were soul mates, if you are right, being apart doesn´t matter, we find our way to each other”. 

 

Nico feels his eyes watering - “I want you in my life”. 

 

“And I will, we will in each other's lives, just no as lovers, just as friends, best friends ever” 

 

Nico caresses Levi´s hand- “Best friends, huh. -he laughs while he cleans his tears. 

 

“But until I go to New York we can have sex, there's no need to make drastic changes so soon”. 

 

“Yeah, we will have a lot of fun looking for new sex positions”. -he mocks on Levi 

 

“Of course, besides fulfilling one of my fantasies, ¨The Doctor and the patient¨". -he replies playfully 

 

Nico´s hand is lost under the sheets of the bed, caresses Levi´s thigh under the hospital gown, his hand goes up and begins to touch the penis to Levi, the young man jumps on the bed, Nico has on his face a mischievous grin, Levi is turning red “Don´t you wanna fulfill your fantasy?”. 

 

“Here? anyone can see us” -he murmurs bitting his lower lip- 

 

“That's what makes it more exciting, I've told you my fantasy, it's very basic actually, is the nerd with his bow tie, his fishing pants, his wool vests, the broken glasses with tape on the bridge and the jock, I´m the jock by the way. 

 

5 months later Levi and Nico said goodbye at the airport, not knowing that their paths would take to cross path again. 

 

Seven years after...


	27. Five years in the making

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few glimpses in Levi and Nico life after their break up, and moving out Seattle.

Right after finish my first-year resident I leave Seattle to New York and starts my second-year resident there, leaving behind him everything he loves. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

They say that it only takes 21 days to create a habit, but nobody tells you how many nights it takes to forget him. 

Nico is tossing and turning into his bed, now without Levi at his side, he has trouble sleeping, he gets used to the sounds that Levi makes when he sleeps peacefully, to the heat of his body, to his smell. Nico turns and ends up with his face on Levi's pillow, the watermelon smell of the shampoo his boyfriend now ex-boyfriend uses, he stares at the ceiling for hours, the clock alarm sounds, another night and he barely slept. 

 

GSM 

 

Link is at the nurse station looking at the chart, Nico is finishing the consultation and left the tablet on the nurse station. 

 

“Did you sleep something last night? - A concerned Link asks his fellow, Link looks to Nico´s face and sees the dark circles under his eyes- Forget what I said, men, you need to sleep, I can´t let you go in the O.R. like this. 

 

“I understand, I didn´t think break up with him it will be so hard”. -Nico complains- 

 

“Because it´s never easy to get rid of true feelings, so are you applying to New York?” 

 

“I promise him not to, now I don´t know what to do now, I have my own plans, then we start dating and I change my mind, to stay here at Seattle for at least 4 years”. _Nico looks to Link looking for an answer- 

 

“Stick to your original plan, I´ll write you a recommendation letter, and you ask Chief Bailey to do the same, add to your CV and send to every damn hospital in your list, or team, you need to move on” 

 

Nico chuckles “Levi said the same to me, before gone” 

 

“He is a smart guy, so do what he said to you, and get some sleep” 

 

Nico´s Apartment. 

 

Nico is in the couch legs crossed with the laptop on it, he is looking the folder with his 10 year plan, he wrote this plan right after moving to UCLA, he opens the document, read the goals he achieved, the ones he fails, then starts to write e-mails to his dream job, he is determined to move out, for his mental health and maybe start over will help with his broken heart. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

Let it go, move on, forget about it, what’s done is done. According to a recent study, you need to feel bad in order to learn, well I never feel so bad, so I’m gonna learn a lot, How I know this? well leaving Seattle it isn´t the smart thing to do, I had everything, good job, I was earning the respect of my superiors, my friends, my mom, and my hot boyfriend, nowhere in this new hospital I got nothing, I just a drop in the ocean, nobody will notice me if I died. 

 

Levi is sleeping in a gurney in an empty aisle, his phone rings. 

 

“Hey, what´s up?” - he answers trying to sound carefree- 

 

“Good, good, I take your advice, and Link, I applying to Texas Rangers, Red Sox, and some hospitals too, so cross your fingers, and wish me luck”. 

 

“You don´t need luck, you are an artist, they will be lucky if the hired you, remember you are a rock star”. 

 

“Why after talking to you I have my self-esteem ends always above the roof?” 

 

“You always have your self-esteem high, it´s not my fault” 

 

“I guess not –he laughs- what about you?” 

 

“My self-esteem, good, good, buried six feet under" -he replies ironically- “like always” 

 

“Levi” -says Nico scolding to the young doctors. 

 

“It´s so good hearing my name, here everybody calls me Seattle, it´s better than glasses but...” 

 

“If you want to be called by your name, then you find the way a good way to remember your name”. 

 

“If only know how to do that. Sorry, I have to go, they paged me, bye Nico”. 

 

“Bye” 

 

 

Nico hung down his phone, close his laptop and go to the kitchen heat water to make an infusion help him to sleep. 

 

Levi is on his way to the O.R., he takes on of the green surgical cap, he stares at it, when an idea crosses his mind, he takes the black marker of his white coat, and write Dr. Schmitt in the forehead, If this doesn´t cause them to call him by his name, he doesn´t know that it will. 

 

The fellowship ends, and Nico gets a job in Los Angeles Sparks, and he moves there. 

 

Levi's idea to write the name on the surgical cap, has not only gotten the attending to learn his name and be the first to be chosen to participate in the surgeries, but has extended to the rest of the staff who write their names in the caps, which makes it easier to address each member especially when there is a crisis inside the operating room. 

 

Third Year Resident. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

After one year in my new job as a doctor in Los Angeles Sparks I decided I don't like that type of practice, I prefers work in a hospital, the rush of adrenaline through my veins, having other doctors to exchange approaches, feeling part of a team, so I apply to several hospitals ending in Mayo Clinic Orthopedic Surgery in Phoenix. 

My sister Nancy since I left Seattle always asks me if I date someone, and I always answers her, “I don´t feel like falling in love”, but the universe has a twisted sense of humor. 

I was walking in Mayo clinic distracted when I hit someone, Drew the head of Oncology, he is handsome and the best way to describe his boy is like Superman had a son with Luke Cage, but is not only Drew´s body, it is the way he is caring, funny, committed with the community coaching a kids baseball team, six months after our first date we move together and by the end of the year we were engaged. 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

My third-year resident starts with so many changes, for start Dr. Wagner who had been my mentor at New York, left to Boston leaving him without a teacher, so another doctor takes over me. 

Susan Cho a woman in her late forties, 70 inches, skinny, pale skin, short auburn hair, sexy cat eyes, heart-shaped face, husky voice, a pediatrician takes me under her wing. She hates me it´s like I never do anything right to her and every decision I make is questioned by her, I hate her and pediatrics, I have to see sick children every day, especially those you know will die and you can not do anything, just keep them pain free, comfortable, however, it changed when I met Dawn. She was like a ray of sun on a cloudy day, a sixteen y/o girl full of life with a severe condition an osteogenesis imperfecta, which means her bones fractures easily, she came to the hospital after feeling down at her home, where she met there Dawson another teenager he had leukemia, and what happened when you had teenagers with anything else to do, yes they fell in love. 

First love always pure, exciting, terrifying, sexy, and mad, so when we weren´t able to find a bone marrow donor to match with him, they made a plan a terrible one. She got pregnant, it was a big scandal at the hospital I was yelled since the president of the hospital, to chief surgery, and of course dr. Cho, hopefully, they didn´t fire me. 

 

When Dawn was 6 months pregnant, Dawson was sick with pneumonia and died, it was hard for everyone especially for her. I was in the night shift, when she entered in labor, she was bleeding and with an extremely pain, I called every attending to help me but they weren´t available at that moment, so I had to do a C-section on Dawn, and I pulled the baby boy, intubated him, and left with the nurses giving him air, I came to Dawn, I´ll make my best, but she died, only the baby survived. 

I was devastated, I never invest so many time, effort on any of my patient before. I was crying alone in the stairs, dr. Cho comes, she sits by my side and spoke to me. She said to me she would do everything I did, step by step, that thanks to me those parents who lose their children now they have a grandson to fight for. After that my relationship with her improve, I don´t say we are friends, but we are closer. 

In March, I enrolled in a volunteer medical aid program in Africa all the summer, leading by dr. Cho. 

 

Four Year. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

Africa really put things in place for me, I sated to mature, I finally feel like a real adult, taking control of my life, with only one more year ahead before I start my fellowship, so I start to make my ten year plan, I design how I pictured my life, in which hospital I want to do my fellowship, where I will work after that, and then find love maybe if I´m lucky. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

Drew and I get married in a beautiful ceremony surrounded by our families and friends, I wanted Levi to be my best man, but he was in Africa, so Link do the honors. We went on our honeymoon to Greece, we make love on the beach under the full moon, we rented a boat and travel between islands, I never feel so relax. 

 

When we go back to Phoenix Drew and I bought our first house, it was bigger than I expected, modern I´m so excited, I´m fulfilling whatever I want, my husband, the house, and hopefully in a year or two we start to look for our own children. I never feel that happy. And in my professional life, I´m the acting head of Ortho, while the actual head is on maternity leave. 

 

Fith Year Resident. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

My final year as a resident happened so fast that before I noticed I was doing interviews for my fellowship, I ended in The Robbins-Herman Center for Women's Health is a health center founded by Drs- Arizona Robbins and Nicole Herman, I will be both fetal surgeon and pediatric surgeon. 

 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

This year we decided to have a child by a surrogated mom, but unfortunately, the attempts ended in a miscarriage. This broke our hearts, it took us to rebuild our relationship, we paused our plans to form a family, we adopted a dog a golden retriever 3 years old.


	28. Seven years in the making

Levi P.O.V. 

 

Finally, after all my hard work I became a pediatric/fetal surgeon, probably is bad to say, but I´m so proud of myself. 

 

So I stick to my ten-year plan and I did some interviews for being an attending in the top hospitals for children, but it didn´t feel right, so with my friend Susan Cho we opened a small private practice and I travel through the country and aboard making fetal surgeries. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

I was waiting for Drew in our couple therapist, but unfortunately he was in a last minute consult for the hospital chief son, and of course, you can not say no to the chief. Some times I get angry because of how accommodating he is, with others, there is always something important, more important than us. 

 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

After eighteen months working, I finally take a holiday and go to my mom´s home in Seattle, I was taking a nap when I received a call from Arizona Robbins. So I take a shower and go to make a consult to Grey Sloan Memorial. 

 

GSM 

 

I wasn't here since I left. I go straight ahead of the Chief office Miranda Bailey, I knock the door. 

 

“Come in” - the strong voice of Dr. Bailey sounds behind the close door- 

I enter the room I presented myself, she seems to remember me, maybe Arizona refresh her memory before I arrived, we have a small talk she informs of the situation. 

 

She leads the way to the patient room, Jo and Alex Karev are expecting their third child, this morning after an ultrasound the OB diagnosis the baby with Spina Bifida. 

 

“Dr. Karev, he is Dr. Schmitt, Arizona send him for the consultation” -said Bailey a little skeptical about my skills as a fetal surgeon-. 

 

Alex Karev shake my hands "Arizona said you were one of her best students, she calls you The Wizard” -he left his regular cockiness aside, he is really nervous and vulnerable tries to hold on his tears-. 

 

“Arizona, always says the same about you, well, I think it´s time to see what test they did on you”. -I pointed Jo, I smiled at her trying to give her confidence-. 

 

I studied the test and the results go back and forward several times, just in case I miss something “I don´t see any MRI” 

 

“Dr. Morris detected the Spina bifida this morning, and they haven´t made” -Jo spoke for the first time, she tries to sound calm, but her trembling hand betrays her, she is worried like every mom in her situation-. 

 

“Ok, we need to make one”. 

 

Alex speaks again “Dr. Brown, you hear Dr. Schmitt, run” - he yelled to an intern maybe resident who quickly runs through the door. 

 

“Wait” - I scream, the intern stops and look at me- Sorry for scream at you –I wrote in a paper a few things that I need- Take this Dr. Brown, this are the sequences I want from the MRI, and other test I want to run on her, and bring me one ultrasound as soon as you can-. 

 

I stay in the room talking to the Karevs, I try my best to reassure them, Dr. Brown came in a hurry with the ultrasound. 

 

Then I make my examination of the baby, when I finish it´s time to do the MRI and 45 minutes later I watched the images on the screen one by one, and I have news for the Karevs and they are not good. 

 

I spoke to them and show them the images reveals a myelocele the most severe case of spina bifida, but great news I can make the surgery in the womb. 

 

I go to talk with Dr. Bailey, she shows me the surgical robot the hospital has, it´s a little bit old than I used to work “I will need to practice with this, but I think it could work” - I tell her very confident in my skills- 

 

Two days later I do the surgery and everything goes well. I feel so powerful that after inform Alex Karev, I start to walk and in my head sound the theme of Superman, and my walk became a little smug until Dr. Bailey screams my name in the middle of the corridor. 

 

She leads the way to her office.


	29. Old friends

“Dr. Schmitt, I must say that contrary to what I believe at first, you surprise me”. 

 

“Thank you? -I answer confused-. 

 

“Don´t get me wrong – she apologizes after seen my face- We know Arizona Robinns, we trust her, we love her, and you...” 

 

“I´m not her, I understand. That´s what you wanted to talk to me?” -I ask her to try to resume my vacation days as soon as possible-. 

 

“Do you know Zack Xavier?” 

 

“The Internet mogul, that made billions with that app?, yeah I think everybody on the planet knows him” 

 

“Her girlfriend it´s pregnant with twins and I would take this as a personal favor if you check on them” -she asks-. 

 

I sigh somebody up here hate me “Of course” -I granted tired after the surgery- “Can I see them now?”. 

 

She nods. 

 

Before entering the room I see a familiar face, Nina Nico´s mother, it´s outside the room with a couple of coffees. 

 

“Levi! - she screams- What do you do here? -she hugs me-. 

 

“I´m making a consultation here” 

 

“That´s Nancy´s room”- she answers cheerfully- Are you the doctor that Dr. Bailey said will help her?” - I take a furious glance at her, she tricks me to do what she wants-. 

 

I entered the room Nancy Nico´s pregnant sister, is on the bed and holding hands with her boyfriend who is the freaking Zack Xavier, great, great, great. 

 

Dr. Bailey whispers “Do you know these people?”. 

 

“We were neighbors” - Nina answers to Bailey, who blushes after being heard-. 

 

“And he dated Nico, mom don´t forget about it”. 

 

“That´s was ages ago, now Can we focus on you? you are fat! girl”. 

 

“And you are the doctor? I´m pregnant you moron, really, is he the best doctor you have in this hospital? ”. 

 

“You always so charming Nancy – I start to do the examination, see the tests, I do an ultrasound- Do you want to know the gender? 

 

“No, we want to wait until they are born” - speaks for the first time the father of the twins-. 

 

“Ok, I'll do my best to keep the surprise until the delivery day, well as I see this is a Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome”. 

“Which means?” -Nina asks worriedly. 

 

“One of the babies is not receiving the same amount of blood flow, so is underdeveloped, I recommend the Laser surgery for the survival of both of them”. 

 

“Dr. Schmitt, can I talk to you outside? -Dr. Bailey orders more than asking. 

 

We go outside. 

 

“You can´t do that surgery”. 

 

“Why not?, it´s the best option and the safety I did it 12 times before, always successfully”. 

 

“Because this hospital doesn´t have that equipment, we don´t have fetal surgery as a specialty”. 

 

“How much it cost? - Bailey and I turn around to see face to face Zack – I will buy it, I have money”. 

“I can recommend other hospitals” - I speak to try to reason with him- “Even if you buy it, it will take time to deliver it, install, do some test, ok, your babies are fine”. - 

Zack nods, I put my hand on his shoulders- “Trust me, I know this is difficult, and you are afraid, but I promise I´ll do my best”. - Zack hugs me- “I´ll organize the transfer to the hospital you choose” - and then he goes inside the room-. 

 

“Sorry, Dr. Bailey I didn´t know GSM don´t have this department”. 

I do the list, and Nancy and Zack pick one of the hospitals and transfer to it in a medicalized plane with me on board. 

I´ll do the surgery and 72 hours later Nancy is discharged from the hospital. 

 

And after that I end my vacation days and return to my regular work in New York, but I received a call from Dr. Bailey offering me be the head of the new department of fetal surgery, it seems that Zack Xavier make a big donation to the GSM, and she thinks it´s because of me. 

I talk to Susan my partner, my friend, my mentor, and my wife, and I accept the job.


	30. Chapter 30

Nico P.O.V. 

 

I´m taking a shower after finish a five hours surgery, I like to feel the hot water through my body, it helps me to relax my muscles after all the tension I put through, and then right before finish change to cold water to wake me up, it´s one of my rituals to close the day. 

I take my towel and dry as fast as I can, today it´s my anniversary with Drew, 7 years since we meet, I want to make something special. 

Nico´s cell phone rings. 

“Hello, big brother” - Nancy said with a mischievous smile on her face-. Guess what? 

“Hey, sis, I´m not in the mood for games.” 

“Oh, good could you be stiffer?, I doubt it. I´m in the hospital, and before you ask it´s because the babies have a syndrome, one of them is not receiving the same blood flow, I need a surgery, and Do you know who will be my doctor? Levi, your ex, Levi, it´s not the world crazy or what? ”. 

“Oh, That sounds bad, when will be the surgery, I can clear my agenda to be there”. -Nico is concerned with the news-. 

“Don´t worry, I got mom here 24/7 and beyond, she is driving Zack crazy already, don´t need more Kims here, I just wanna keep you posted”. 

“Too late I'm worried, Levi is in Seattle?” 

“Yes, but my surgery it´s in another hospital, tomorrow will do the transfer, so don´t worry, I told you mom is here”. 

“ Fine, I call you later” 

 

I arrive at my place and call my mom “Hello mom” 

“Nico, how is my little chipmunk doing? Are you eating well, resting enough? 

“Yes mom, I´m great, -Nico answers a little bit jaded, always the same conversation with her-Mom Nancy call me a while before. She said to me, that the babies need surgery and Levi will do it”. -He said anxious-. 

“She didn´t have to call you, don´t worry I google him and it´s one of the best of the country, he seems pretty confident” - said the woman trying to calm down her son- But you always can call him and ask all the questions you have “. 

“Yes, maybe I´ll do it”. 

After checking my watch I realize that if he wants to prepare the dinner, and get ready I have no time for any phone call with Levi because I have a million question in my head. 

I cook what they ate in their first date menu, of starter, a tartare of salmon on guacamole with cilantro sprouts and oriental style clams, seasoned with cinnamon and ginger. As the main course entrecote with sweet potato and shallot cubes.The memory of how Drew taught me to eat clams and how we shared them by feeding each other. To drink a mojito and for dessert, white chocolate and raspberry mousse. 

I set the table with the china gift of my grandmother father side, is white with a red border and a golden edge, the tablecloth is made of cotton with drawings of silver feathers. I light the candles. Start on the playlist with the songs with their wedding songs. 

I wait until the clock marks midnight, then I throw the dinner away and remove any trace of romantic gesture; Drew has not shown up all night and does not respond to any of my calls or messages. I decide to go to sleep. 

By the time I wake up he is already gone, I need to clear my head two years ago we were about to divorce, after our problems, I thought the couple therapy was working on our issues but now that Drew is acting so strange I´m not sure of anything. 

I go to the gym running through the treadmill, I put the earpods playing loud the music, I don´t want anyone to talk to me, nobody distracts me, I just want to be in my bubble, when I finish, I start lifting weights the heavier the better. I do not want to think, I do not want to feel, just not being me for a few hours. 

OoOoOOOoOoOoOOOoOoOoOOOoOoOoOOOoOoOoOOOoOoOoOOOoOoOoOOOoOoOoO 

Levi P.O.V. 

 

I arrive in New York, Susan is waiting for me at the airport “I told you not to come, it´s late and you need to rest” - I said weary to her -. 

“I´m pregnant, not sick” -She protests- 

“You are pregnant, and even if you don´t recognize it, you are sick, How is the baby?” 

“The baby is completely fine, and yes I have cancer but I´m fine, you wanna discuss here or you wanna go home and rest”. 

“You win” -I give up-. 

“But first we stop, I have a craving for donuts so bad, that if I don´t get it one I can kill someone”. 

I sigh and roll my eyes because that only means one thing we are going al night from one donut bakeries to another tasting all. 

Five days after being in New York, I received a call from Miranda Bailey, she wants to add to Grey Sloan Memorial a department of fetal hired surgery and she wants me to run the service, I ask her time to think, it would be a big step in my career, but I have a commitment to Susan. 

“You have to take it - she encourages me after I told her- Levi is a good offer, and you will be next to your mom, she will be more than happy to have you near after all these years” 

“She came twice a month, and I spoke to her no less than five times every day, trust me nobody misses me” 

“Look, I´m sick, I´m dying, I´m expecting our son, you will need help when my condition gets worse, so take it”. 

 

I accepted the offer. Move on to my mom´s house while we look for our own house. 

 

My firsts months in GSM it wasn´t what I expected. Jo Karev had a premature delivery 6 weeks earlier than expected. I had to perform a c-section because the girl was not well placed. This resulted in Alex Karev taking the decision to take his paternity leave and then a sabbatical year to take care of his wife and children, and lucky me I have the honor of being the acting head of pediatrics until he rejoins the hospital. Too much work for a person but the challenges excite me.


	31. Coming Home

Levi P.O.V. 

I was sleeping comfy in my bed under the blankets, I was a cinnamon roll when my phone rang, I woke up cursing to who the hell was interrupting my rest. 

“Schmitt” -I answer my anger shows through my voice- 

“Sorry, Dr. Schmitt” - the voice of a young woman trembling from the other side- “I´m Cameron the nurse” -Levi nods in the dark of his room waiting for the reason she is calling- “Nancy Kim called, she said is bleeding, and she is coming to the ER”. 

“Thak you, Cameron the nurse, I´m on my way”. 

I put on my sweatpants, an old t-shirt and my sport shoes, run downstairs, and go to the hospital. 

I arrive at the hospital at the same time that Nancy and Zack, he is frightened. 

“Let´s do the examination, Ok?.” -I reassure them, but it doesn´t work, I don´t have a good awakening and I´m mad -. 

We go to one of the examination rooms, Nancy changes clothes and puts on a robe behind a screen, while I wash my hands and put on one of the yellow gowns and gloves. She lies on her back on a special stretcher with her legs spread apart and her feet placed on the leg holder, I start to do the pelvic exam. 

“Well, everything is normal” - I said to them after finish- 

“But she bleeds” – Zack is too much right now, so I prefer to talk to Nancy she is calm- 

“Yes, she bleeds, but is completely normal, look sometimes when the mucus plug falls out some capillary blood maybe break, and from there the blood. But as I said it´s normal your due date, your body is preparing for the childbirth” 

“So, I´m in labor?” -she asks- 

“No, not yet. This is like the previous step before, it could be hours or days”. - I take a deep breath- 

“Days? How many days?” -Zack attack again. 

“From 2 to 5 days” - new parents are the worst, everything you say sounds like a death threat to them, they barely listen to what you are explaining, they heard what they want to here, in another moment I will be more sympathetic but I´m tired, grumpy than usual I have to deal with my own shit at home and I´m not in the mood, but it´s not this fault, so I put my best smile and try to keep calm. 

“Could you speed up things?, I have tomorrow a meeting in Tokio and I... 

“Sorry, I prefer let nature do her thing” - I start to do an ultrasound, everything is normal- 

 

“It´s ok, honey, go to that meeting is important, and you will be here in three days so well wait 

“That´s not how it works Nancy” - I said to her- 

 

“If I tell my kids to stay in my womb for three days the will obey me if they know what is best for them” 

 

She is pretty scary right now, and I´m not going to fight with a pregnant woman, mostly because I´m pretty sure she could beat me to death. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

I was in the night shift for the fifth day in a row avoiding my problems with Drew, I was jumping from one surgery to another, I was too tired to drive home, so I decided to crash in one on-call room and then I hit me. 

I saw Drew bottoming for the chief´s son, they even didn´t seem to notice me and they were fucking like animals. I'm shocked but it dawned on me, I´d been in denial for months, making silly excuses for his absences, trying to save our marriage but it doesn´t worth, and then I snap, I took off one off my shoes and hit the wall. 

The look on Drew´s face it´s terrified, I slam the door and locked it, the next thing I remember is packing my things from my locker and being fired. 

I arrived at my home, thankfully Drew isn´t there take my clothes and took Archie my dog go to my car and drove not knowing what to do. 

I was sitting in a diner outside Phoenix, drinking black coffee, I lose my appetite, but I force myself to eat something, I received a call from my mom, my sister Nancy was in labor, so I finish my meal as quickly as I can, pay the bill a go to my car, I must eat to fast because I vomit on the parking lot. 

The night comes and I have not traveled a third of the distance to Seattle. 

I stop in a motel, I take Archie out for a walk, after so many hours in the car we need to stretch our muscles, In a nearby park we play, I throw the ball and he runs to bring it to me. 

I call my sister to see how the delivery is going - "Hey, sis how are you?" -. 

"Bored to death" 

"How is it possible that you are bored while in labor?" -I asked intrigued- 

"Because I'm not in labor, dummy" 

"But mom told me... 

"Forget what your mother said, it's been Zack who has made all the mess. According to Levi, it's only been the mucus plug, and in hours or days until I start giving birth." 

"Oh, well, in any case, I'm on my way." 

After a well rest night, I resume my trip to Seattle, making stops every 3 hours, surviving with tons of black coffee, the only thing in the world how to keep me alive. 

My stomach has started to hurt, in one of my stops I buy an antacid. Too much coffee in a day maybe. I'm 6 hours from home, but I'm too tired to keep driving, so I'm looking for a place to rest, shower and change my clothes. The pain in the stomach keeps taking me a painkiller. 

I try to rest, but the stomach pain continues, with everything I'm going through, I'm sure I have an ulcer. 

After a few hours I finish the distance to Seattle, my mother calls me. 

"Hello?" 

"Nico, honey, your sister has already gone into labor, we are in the hospital, the contractions are every 15 minutes and Levi has said that she has dilated 3 cm. 

"Very well, I'm just arriving, I have an hour or so, I see you there in the hospital."


	32. Welcome back

Levi P.O.V. 

Nancy has been in labor almost 7 hours since her water broke, she was doing it well, but the dilation doesn´t progress, so I start with the electronic fetal monitoring and put an IV with oxytocin, and wait. 

After 2 more hours waiting, I saw signs of fetal distress so I have to go to the O.R. and perform a C- section. 

I go to spoke to Nina and Nancy. 

“No way, I told you, Levi, my kids will born when Zack gets here” - She crosses her arms around her chest. 

“Nancy, your babies are suffering, I´m not going to wait, so if I have to call to the Court and get an order I swear I´ll do” - I threat her-. 

“Ok, stop –Nina interfere to mediate between Levi and Nancy- How long can we wait before the babies are in real danger?” 

“They are in danger now, but if you are asking how much can we wait before they died? one hour tops”. 

“Ok, we have one hour – Nina said softly to her daughter while she removes a few strands of hair from her face- then you can do whatever you have to –she said to me- Agree?” 

Nancy and I nodded. 

“Good, now I call Zack, and you two make peace, don´t force me to call your mother Levi”. 

I roll my eyes, I´m one of the best surgeons in my specialty but the Kims still treat me like the 7-year-old boy that I was when they moved to the house next door. 

 

Zack is trap in Japan, with a nasty typhoon. 

 

The one-hour extension I gave to Nancy expires, we take her to the O.R. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

I finally am in Seattle, I go to my parent's house, and left Archie in their back yard with fresh water and food, he looks happy in there wallowing in the grass. 

I get to my car and drive to the GSM, my stomach pain become more intense and the painkillers and the antacid seems doesn´t work. 

When I arrive at the hospital my sister is already on the O.R: making her a C-section, I stay in the waiting room with my family, my mother is video chatting with Nancy´s boyfriend who is trapped in Japan. 

My sister Nora is concentrated on her phone, and my father is walking in circles with his hands at his back nervous, I see his lips moving, maybe he is praying. 

And I´m cold, I have shiver, my teeth chatter uncontrollably, and the pain has become more intense, unconsciously I embrace my stomach, I shrink almost to a fetal position in the chair. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

I close up, double check if everything is ok with Nancy and her two baby girls, the babies are in their cribs both healthy, I stay with Nancy a little bit while she is in the reanimation room, I left her when she starts to wake up. 

And after that I go to inform the family, then I see him, I see Nico I´m out of breath, it´s been like seven years since we were together in the same room, of course, we talk from time to time on the phone. 

Nico P.O.V. 

I look at my watch, it seems we were waiting since forever, without any update, so that makes everyone here crazy, but no news is good news. 

I play with my phone trying to distract me from the pain, I rise my sight and I see him, I see Levi walking to us, it´s been a while since we see each other in person, I hold my breath. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

Nico and I exchange looks, I take off my scrub cap, I tamed my hair with my fingers When Nina runs into me. 

“Is everything ok?” - She is eager for information, and it´s normal because I took too much time to give her the info about her daughter and grandchildren-. 

“Yes, Nancy and her daughters are fine, I´m sorry I took me so long, but I was with Nancy she is awake now, and the babies are fine, clean and sleeping in their cribs, I´ll take you there”. 

“Nina hugs me with too much enthusiasm, she is suffocating me, then she left me and runs to her family, I walk behind her. 

Nora is jumping for joy, Nico´s father is crying a river, but Nico doesn´t seem happy, he is sweaty, with dark bags under his eyes, pain in his face, I approach to him, extend my hand to congrats for becoming an uncle, he stands up, his face flinch in pain and faint just in front of me. 

Some interns and residents help me to put him on the stretcher and run into the E.R.


	33. Really F*cked

Levi P.O.V. 

I star with a thorough examination of the neck, chest, abdomen and rectal examination. Nico presented tachycardia, increase of his respiratory frequency, I put oxygen therapy, he also have fever and generalized abdominal tenderness. 

One of the residents in her third year brings an X-ray machine portable, the radiological image shows free intraperitoneal air. Nico has peritonitis, which means he needs urgent surgery. 

"Carter – I howl- book an O.R., and paged Dr. Grey or Bailey or how the hell is on-call in general” 

The intern runs stumble with his own feet, while I start to take off his clothes with the help of a nurse, and prepare him for the surgery. 

Carter comes to the corridor while I was taking Nico to the O.R. 

“Dr. Bailey is on-call and she is in the O.R. 5”. - he said- 

“Ok, we´ll do it” 

I´m in the O.R., I try the laparoscopy but I can´t do it so I switch to an open procedure. 

“Dr. Carter – I take a deep breath- I need you to inform the family” 

“W-what do I have to tell them, exactly?, I´m not really good delivering news to the family” 

“And you don´t wanna fuck it up – I understand, I´ve gone through the same thing as sub-in- You tell them that Mr. Kim has peritonitis, that I´m performing the surgery, you don´t tell them, that we change the approach from a laparoscopy to an open surgery, Do you understand me?”. 

“Yes, sir, what if they ask me questions?”. 

“You answer them, try to be clear, not using too much medical terminology, the answer must be short, people normally freak out, and don´t listen, make sure they understand you and do it quickly, then come back and I teach you how to stitch”. 

Really? -Carter can´t hide his happiness- 

I nod and he runs out the O.R. 

Miranda Bailey breaks into the O.R. like a hurricane “Schmitt, what the hell are you doing?” 

“I´m repairing the stomach perforation he has, now you can yell at me or scrub in and help me? Your choice”. 

 

I.C.U. 

I was lying on the bed, feeling cold, my eyelids weigh me down, my throat is irritated, it burns me after a while struggling I can finally open my eyes, for a few seconds everything is bright and I have trouble focusing my sight. 

When I stop seeing double, I see it, at the feet of my bed, doing the crossword puzzle of the newspaper. 

"I´m cold.”. 

"Well, well, well, look who has decided to return to the land of the living – Levi replies ironically he places the newspaper on the table next to the head of the bed, Levi wakes up, grab a blanket and clothe Nico”. 

“What happened?" -I ask my voice is scratchy I feel slow- 

“How I tell you? Where do I begin?, You faint after seen me, which is a supernatural thing it happens all the time – I try to add some humor to the news- After doing your exploration I diagnosis peritonitis, I do the surgery, start with a laparoscopy, but I have to switch to an open procedure” 

“I see, why?” 

“You had an ulcer that causes a stomach perforation, it was too much infection I put a drain on you, but if you are worried about the scar, I tell you that I did the incision right in the linea alba so you can hide with your perfect abs”. 

“You think you are funny? Huh” 

“Why don´t you get back to sleep?, you are in the I.C.U. for the next days”. 

A nurse came in “Dr. Schmitt, your wife is on the phone she says, she needs to talk to you right now”. 

“Wait, are you married? with a woman?”, Levi -he left the room-. 

Then Levi shook his head through the door- “Oh, I forgot, our mother calls Drew, he will be in the morning, have a good night”- Levi smile before leaving. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck Drew is coming, I died and I went straight to hell. 

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

Nico P.O.V. 

I was sleeping when I feel the touch of a soft, strong hand reaching mine, I slowly open my eyes, and it´s Drew all tears, I withdraw my hand disgusted. 

“What are you doing here?.” -I ask upset- 

“I´m your husband” - he answers me quietly- 

“Get out, the last time we see each other, I made things very clear, I want the divorce and never see you again”. 

“Oh, come Nico, - the tone of his voice is patronizing and condescendence, he caresses my cheek- We aren´t going to divorce, right now I´m the only one in the world who can help you, after what you did in Mayo, right now nobody is going to hire you, but if we continue together, well, I can influence the decision of the board.”. 

“Stop it, stop it, and get out” - I say between teeth with hate, my heart rate start to increase, and the beeping of the monitor makes the nurse came to the room in the ICU-. 

Drew is sent outside, but before he leaves, he does an ultimate statement - “This isn´t over, you´ll hear from me, and you´ll crawl back. Think about it, dear” -he winks an eye on me-. 

 

Next thing I knew about him, is that he took Archie from my parent´s house, come back to Phoenix, emptied the banks accounts that we had together, leaving me without my dog, my money, or my reputation, because after my dispute in Mayo´s clinic I´m on the blacklist of every single hospital in the country. 

I´m really fucked.


	34. Chapter 34

Nico P.O.V. 

I was discharged from the hospital after 17 days. 

I bought an expensive bottle of Merlot, as a gift for Levi to thank him for saving my life. 

I rang the doorbell, when it opens a woman with oxygen nasal cannula, attached to an oxygen concentrator machine, she pokes her head through the door, she is small, with her mahogany hair pulled back in a poorly made ponytail, as if she had been sleeping and had just awakened. I look at the door in case I've made a mistake, but it's his house, just to the left is my parents' house. 

“Hi I’m Nico, the neighbor, Is Levi at home?” – I asked. 

“Oh!” -she exclaimed surprised- “come in, please” - invites me kindly. 

When I open the door I see an advanced stage of pregnancy- “Levi has not yet arrived, but you can wait here. I'm Susan, by the way”. - she extends her hand after introducing herself. 

I enter hesitantly, the house continues exactly as when I was a child, the same wallpaper full of pink roses blossoming, the same furniture, the same carpet with the blue ink stain in the right corner. Susan invites me to sit on the sofa while she gets lost in the kitchen, I hear her tinkle and when she finally comes out, she brings a snack on a tray. 

“Levi told me about you” 

“Huh? - she caught me off guard-. 

“He didn´t talk about me? Susan Cho. 

“Oh!, yeah, yes, it´s only I thought you were in New York. So, are you Levi's wife?” - I asked without any regard, intrigued by the sudden change of Levi's sexuality. 

Susan looks at me, I think she's surprised to ask such a direct question without a previous conversation, but then she laughs, laughs with enthusiasm, her laugh is contagious, until she starts coughing, she takes off her nasal cannula, I approach to her, giving the glass of water, she takes a sip that calms down- 

“I'm sorry” -she apologizes, she looks tired her breathing it´s heavy, I help her to put again the nasal cannula- “”Sorry, this damn cancer” – she breaths deeply- “I did not expect that question, so Levi has not explained it to you?, it is a joke that we call ourselves husband and wife, when we were in Nigeria, it wasn´t a very gay friendly country, and when the authorities caught me flirting with a beautiful French nurse, they wanted to stone me or something like that, so Levi was my knight in shining armor and said he was my fiancé.” 

“Huh, I see” - I agree with her, I feel bad right now, the poor woman is sick and I´m doing stupid questions-. 

We chat a while waiting for Levi, Susan is funny and clever and when Levi told me about her, I imagined her like a demon, but she is such a sweetheart. 

The sound of a motor turning off, followed by Levi entering his house, with a brown paper bag in his arms. "I have not found the yogurts you like, so I bought fruits, apricots, oranges, avocados, bananas you´ll see" - his voice was dampening while he disappears in the kitchen, to store what he has bought. 

When Levi enters the room again talking about how his day has gone, he finds himself face to face with Nico. 

"H, Hello" -greets Levi-. Nico gets up to shake Levi's hand, but Susan speaks first. 

"Thank you so much for the fruits, I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but now I'm tired, I'm going to bed" - Susan gets up and Levi strides up to her, gives her arm for her to grab and accompanies her to the bedroom located on the ground floor. 

 

Levi returns to the living room with Nico. "I have brought this to you - he gives him the bottle of wine - to thank you, for saving my life”. 

Levi takes it - "Thank you very much, but it was not necessary, you know that I am more a beer guy, but surely this wine is great". 

"I wanted to talk to you ..." -I start to say but Levi´s guts growl, and he cuts me quickly 

"Do you mind that we do it in the kitchen? I have not eaten yet." 

We go to the kitchen, Levi heats in the microwave, some leftovers, he opens the fridge and takes two bottles of beer, he opens and gives one to Nico. 

“I don´t like to drink alone” -Levi explains himself-. 

“I remember. So I wanted to thank you for saving my life” - I start to speak- 

“Can I see it?, the scar I mean?”. 

I get up from the chair, unbutton my shirt, I take off the binder, and then the dressing that covers the stitches, Levi examines it closely, I can feel his breathing in my belly, giving me goosebumps. 

"Do you mind if I touch it?" - he asks me very interested- 

I can barely answer, he still affects me too much, but even so, I manage to nod, his fingers go over my torso, sometimes he squeezes at certain points to see if the pus comes out. 

"Not bad - he mutters to himself, although it is perfectly audible - there are no signs of infection, the edges are well approximated, the stitches are healing very well, I will have to congratulate Carter for doing his job well" - 

“Have you let me be an intern?” - I ask amazed- 

"Teaching hospital" - tells me to like it was a good explanation and settle the possible discussion. 

We talk of nothing in special, but I had many questions burning in my head, so I take a deep breath. 

“Where is your mom?, I don´t see her” 

“Oh, she is with my aunt in Sacramento, she divorced for the 9th, 10th time?, and how she is not so young, she did a total plastic surgery from head to toe, to look younger, but I see the pictures of her recovery and she looks like a lizard”. 

“You are being mean” - I laugh but my tummy hurts because of everything in tender-. 

Levi shrugs, take a sip of his beer to pull his phone and shows Nico a picture of his aunt to Nico- “OK, you win she looks like a lizard”. 

“And what about you?” -Levi ask 

Nico sighs – “I don´t know, it´s your life as you imagine it?.” 

“Well, the answer is no, ten years ago I was pretty sure that I will fail med school, and I will end serving fries and living in my mom basement, which is something that I´m doing right now temporarily, but here I´m, a fetal surgeon and a peds, I bought my own house, and I will have a son”- 

Nico chocked with his beer and spill it – You will have a kid?” 

“I thought you know, Susan is expecting my child”. 

“I can believe it” -Nico take a long drink of his beer emptying the bottle- 

“It´s complicated. Why am I explaining myself to you? It´s my life period”. 

“Sorry, It´s I´m surprised that you want to have kids, that´s all”. 

“I remember that I told you that I consider have kids when my life settle down, plus Susan is dying and is her wish before died, and she doesn´t have a family. So when she told me she was thinking of having a child on her own with a sperm donor, what can I say?, I feel identified, because I always have questions about my father, who is he, how he looks, where he works, what he likes, Do have I brothers or sisters?”. 

“I´m jealous, you have everything I ever wanted. And now honestly Levi, I don´t know what to do, I´m lost". 

“You fight, is what everybody does, I will call my mom, tomorrow morning and she can guide you or something in the divorce, and I will make some calls to my friends maybe they knew of an open position in their hospitals, and you call Link, he will help you” 

“Levi, I can´t, this morning I had an interview on skype and I did it well, but off the record, the person who interviewed me told me that I'm on a blacklist, I´ll never work as a doctor again”. 

A blacklist, why?” 

“Because when I caught Drew red-handed having sex with the other guy, I chased them through the hospital insulting them”. 

“It does not seem so serious” - Levi add-. 

“They were naked, it was a scandal” 

We both laughs.


	35. Chapter 35

The morning after. 

Levi P.O.V. 

After the chat Nico and I have, I call my mother looking for advice. 

“Hi mom, How is she?” 

“Well, she is torturing me, - Sara starts to impersonate her sister - “Oh my head hurts, uh my neck hurts”, her ass is what is going to hurt from the kick I´m going to give you.” 

“Remember if you kill her, you go to jail, and you will not know your grandson” 

“Yes, you are right, How are Susan and the baby?”. 

“Fine, just fine. Mom, Nico was here last night, he is having a hard time, he is divorcing and his ex is making him miserable”. 

“And you wanted me to help him?” 

“Yes, he is my friend, and I care, I owe him because if he hadn´t encouraged me to pursue my career in New York, I didn´t become who I´m now” 

“Send me Nico´s phone number, I will call him”. 

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

Nico P.O.V. 

 

I was lying on my bed, watching some shitty talk show on TV, when my phone rings. 

“Hello? -I said with a pleasant tone of voice-. 

“Nico?, I´m Sara Schmitt, Levi calls me and he informs about your situation, How can I help you?” 

“Thank you for the offer, it´s I don´t know what to do?”. 

“I´ll take care just send me all the papers you had, like a prenup if you signed, or invoices, whatever you have to my e-mail, I´ll text you and as soon as I studied I´ll give you an answer and strategy to follow”. 

“Ok, thank you”. 

Later that day. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

I'll receive a call from the Hospital an emergency, I don´t like left Susan alone, and less with her condition, so I called the nurse normally comes home to take an eye on her, but unfortunately, she had a family emergency and can´t make it. 

“Leave, don´t let a baby die, I don´t need a babysitter, I´m a whole lotta woman” - she said to me-. 

“Don´t worry, I don´t let anybody die on my watch. And yes, you need somebody to keep an eye on you while I´m gone”. 

“Levi, seriously, you can go, I´m fine” - Susan insists tired of being treated like a child-. 

“Ok, I don´t have time to discuss”. I left the house. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

I come back to my parent's house after a stroll when Levi came to me. 

“Hi Nico, can I talk to you a second?” 

“Of course, what do you need?” 

“I have to go to the hospital, and I don´t want to left her alone, normally a nurse came by, but today she had a personal emergency, could you take an eye on her?” 

“Sure. I don´t have anything to do” 

“Here, take my keys, probably she doesn´t open the door”. 

Two hours later I open Levi's mom house, to find Susan sleeping on the old English leather, she has heavy breath, as I get closer, the floor creaks with my steps, she opens her eyes. 

“Sorry, I don´t mind to wake you up. Levi wants to check up on you” 

“He is a pain in the ass”- she said while she stretches and removes the eye booger. 

“You wanna some tea?.” 

“I like more the whiskey, but I´m 29 weeks pregnant, so tea will be good”. 

Levi P.O.V. 

When I got home, the smell of homemade food is the first thing I notice, then the laughs in the kitchen, I poked my head out the door and saw Nico and Susan eating strawberry cake and whipped cream while pointing to something I did not see. 

"And then Levi put a plank on the hood of his mother's car, got on his bike, pedaled as fast as he could and instead of flying over the car, he crashed into the windshield" 

They laugh. 

"That's not fair, I was 9 years old, -I protest- and it was your fault because you kicked the plank at the last second to make it fall" 

The two looks at me surprised, I go to the table, I see they have the album with my most embarrassing photos. 

I take the album and I close it violently and I take it. 

"I´m not done," I scold. 

"You were cute" Susan makes fun of me. 

"I'm still" I answer from the living room. 

When I return, they are whispering, but as soon as they see me they are silent. 

I open the casserole and serve myself a plate of beef stew. 

“My mom did it” -Nico said- 

"It´s delicious – I said with my mouth full of beef- So, you have fun?”- I ask after swallow-. 

“Yes, he told me a lot of stories about you” 

“Only you´re most embarrassing moments”. -Nico adds- 

“Sure you do, did he told you when I made him bite the dust?” - I ask Susan, who denies with her head- Well, you should ask him next time”. 

“This is my queue to leave”- Nico stans up, kiss Susan on her cheek and then hugs me, he smells so good, I accompany him to the front door- 

When I came back to the kitchen Susan is looking at me suspicious- “You´re still in love with him”. 

“What?, no, no, I just my friend”. 

“Sure Levi, sure, but your face said the opposite” 

“Good night, Susan”


	36. Chapter 36

Levi P.O.V. 

I´ve been for hours in the O.R. when I finally go out, Chief Bailey shows up. 

“We need to talk in my office now” - she requires, she starts to walk- 

I don´t have other option than follow her. When we arrive at her office she makes me go first, and there is Catherine Fox herself in the flesh, with a serious poker face, Miranda Bailey closes the door behind her. 

“Please, sit” - Chief Bailey points a chair, and I obey like a child in the principal office, at this point I´m 100% sure that I did something terrible, unforgivable, and they want to fire me-. 

“Why are we here?” - I finally ask. 

“As you know, Zachary Xavier makes a donation to the hospital” - Bailey starts to talk- 

“Yes, I´m aware of that, there is a problem with that?” - I relax a bit, is not my job on the line- 

“Yes and no” - Catherine Fox talking now- “The donation is bigger than we expected”. 

“I don´t see the problem, founds are always a headache, right?, if we, I mean the hospital have money ...” 

Catherin cut me off my argument- “Yes having found it´s good, but that big –she writes the number, and give me, I open my eyes surprised- “we want your opinion” 

“With all this money you can make a lot, since new equipment, to upgrade O.R. or even run a whole hospital 3 years at least”. 

“Run a hospital? Huh" - Catherine and Bailey exchange looks, and I see the eyes of Bailey glowing, some crazy idea is in her mind and she is giving the right form, before share it- 

“A Child Hospital” -Miranda finally jumps in the conversation, then she looks at Catherine ignoring me- “We can build a whole new hospital, we can reform the old building of the hospital, it has been closed since before I was an intern here, it´s the perfect place.” 

“ok, it seems you can figure it out by yourself, but I´m just the acting chief of peds, Alex Karev should be here.” 

“Well, he is not available right now, I keep him inform, don´t worry about that, we want your ideas.” 

“Well, I think we need to see the building, or the blueprints, just to now space if we can use the ground floor for E.R and the x-ray, scans, and MRI” 

And then a serious of long boring conversations, about what the new hospital needs, conditioning works, distribution of the plants, where the operating rooms will go. More meeting with different architects. 

 

6 weeks after. 

Nico found work as a bartender in the newest gay bar in Seattle. While Sara Schmitt works with an old friend who has her practice in Phoenix, tracing a strategy for Nico´s divorce. 

Susan condition gets worse, now she is in bed all day. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

I was serving drinks, when Levi came to the counter, his fingers drum against the counter, while he hums the loud music, and move his head with the music beat. 

“What´s your poison?” - I ask, while whipped a glass with a white rug. 

“Can you take five?” 

“Levi I´m working” 

“Take five, a bottle of champagne, and a table, it´s good news”. 

-Jesus Christ, this man it´s unbelievable, he came here to celebrate he becomes a father, instead of stay with his kid and Susan-. 

I lead the way to a quiet table on a private zone. 

“Congratulations, you are a father then” - I say to him ironically-. 

“What?!, no. You really think I came here if my boy were born today?, I thought you know me better”. _Levi seem disappointed with me- 

“Sorry, then what are you here?”. 

“I have good news, great news, the best news ever”. 

“OK, stop with the hype, tell me.” 

 

Levi open the champagne, a serve the two glasses- “Well, as you know, Grey Sloan Memorial will open a Child Hospital, and soon they will start the renovation, but here is the thing I need to hire my own team, several doctors from different specialties and train them to treat children, and I thought that you can be my ortho guy. What do you say?”. -Levi rises his glass-. 

I leave to cross the bar, and go out, Levi drinks the two glasses of champagne, takes the bottle and follow me. 

We are in the street, Levi hides the bottle under his coat. 

“Seriously, dude leaves alone, I´m not in the mood”. 

“Why?, What I said so terrible to piss you off like that?”. 

“I remember when you were a kid, and you used your home as a shelter for lost puppies or injured, I´m not that, I don´t need to be fixed, and above all, I don´t want your pity”. 

“That´s why I asked first to Link, it´s more easy work with him, in fact, my intention was teaching the head of every surgical specialty, but they refuse, they don´t have time. So Link suggested your name, I don´t try to fix you, but is a shame your talent as surgeon get wasted serving drinks, but it´s your choice, if you don´t want to I´ll find another person for the job. Good night, Nico. By the way – he opens his coat- I´ve not paid this”. 

And after that, he goes on his car and drives away.


	37. Chapter 37

Nico P.O.V. 

I´m visiting Susan, she is getting weaker and weaker every day. It´s been two days since Levi offer me a job, and he is giving me the silent treatment again. 

“Why are you so silly? I would do anything for one more surgery, but you let your pride get in the way, it doesn´t surprise me he isn´t talking to you”. 

“He told you?”. 

“He feels very insulted.” 

“I know, I was harsh on him. But if he hires me, If he hires me, I'm sure he'll be pressured to fire me, because of my incident in Phoenix” 

“He will stand up for you”. 

“That´s why I can accept the job, because he will stand up for me, and he will be fired too. 

I mess with the wrong people, maybe I will surrender come back to Phoenix and beg for forgiveness.” 

Sara, Levi´s mom, knock in the guest room, now Susan´s room- “Nico, Can I talk to you for a moment?.” 

We are in the kitchen a warm tea is waiting for us in the table, I sit an take a sip. 

“Nico, my colleague and I found that you sign a prenup”. 

“Yes, I send you, I sign it because Drew´s family owns an Oil company in Dallas, they wanted to make sure I did not keep their money as if I were a gold digger!”. -I was outraged after remember how Drew´s family treat me when we met-. 

“No, we know that, but there are clauses in the prenup, about infidelity, that involves both of you.” -Sara's voice is calm and soft, she knows how to smooth the air-. 

“What exactly?” -now I´m definitely intrigued-. 

“Well, in the infidelity clause, it establishes that if one of the spouses cheats to the other and became public and notoriously, summarizing you are doing a lot of money.” 

“Son of a bitch, that´s why he doesn´t want the divorce and takes everything for me, how much money he will lose?.” - I´m pissed with myself, how I could be so silly-I. 

“I think millions and the shares from the Oil company, but here the question is what do you want?” 

“I don´t want a war, I just want my dog, the money he took from me, I don´t want the mortgage, I´m paying for a house that I no longer live, and I want my name out of that blacklist”. 

“Then I promise you can have it, and trust me they will give you everything because it´s cheaper than a public trial”. 

“Then add a big number for your paycheck and make them paid for, you and your friend deserve it”. 

“I will, now, are you telling me what happened between my son and you?” 

“Levi being Levi, and... well me being me, which means I was an ass to him” 

“Yes, you were.” -Levi was leaning on the kitchen door- 

Sara takes her cup of tea and leaves the room, she pats Levi on the shoulder. 

“Levi -I start to talks. 

“You are sorry, blah blah blah... it´s your M.O., you get angry, then say something hurtful to me, then you regret, so we´ll skip all this and go to the point Are you taking the job or not?” 

“You still want me?” 

“I want the best by my side, you are one of the best surgeons I know, so yes. Are you willing to work for me or not?.” 

“Yes, I do.” 

“Well, you start tomorrow morning, and now if you don´t mind I´m gonna change my clothes and run a few miles, good night Dr. Kim, and welcome back to the medicine”. 

“Good night boss, one more thing before I leave, since when you run?” - I can not help but make fun of him, Levi has never liked doing sports - 

“Watch out with your tongue, you are talking to your superior.” -Levi answers frisky-. 

A few minutes later Levi is running through the neighborhood streets, Nico joined to him. 

“What are you doing?” -Levi asks surprised- “You can not do any physical effort so soon” 

“Levi Schmitt practicing a sport, if you think I miss the opportunity to watch this life, you don´t know me”. 

“Oh, then you need to see me doing yoga, I´m so flexible right now, that you will be surprised with the things I´m capable of” - he winks an eye to Nico- 

After running two blocks, Levi stops in the old O´Flanagan house, one of the biggest houses in our neighborhood, a ramshackle house, with a sunken roof after the fire five years ago, and since then the house has been abandoned, it´s full of graffitis, broken bottles, tons of trash, and now construction material. 

“Why you stop, here in the witch house?” 

Levi jumps the fence -“Are you still afraid of her? it´s being more than twenty years since that Halloween, and she died five years ago.” 

I instinctively step back a few steps to remember that woman, I remember that Halloween when I was 12 dress as a pirate, and that crazy lady running after me to kill me. 

“It´s mine, I bought this house”. 

“You buy the enchanted house?” 

“Oh, please, it doesn´t exist such a thing as an enchanted house, it´s the house of a poor woman who suffered from Diogenes Syndrome” 

“Whatever, she died there, her spirit will chase you”. 

“She died in the hospital she had a stroke at the grocery store.” 

Levi walks to the front door, I see him open it and disappear inside. 

I don´t like it, but I follow him, open the fence and walk hesitantly through the door, I don´t see him anywhere -” Levi?- I whisper- I go down the hall, and from a corner in front me Levi jumps, I´m scared to death, and my first reaction is to punch his face. 

“Son of a bitch” - Levi screams after covering his face with his hands- 

“I´m sorry but it´s your fault, what the hell are you thinking?”   
“It was a joke” 

“Let me see your face.” -Ugh, nasal bleeding and the swelling starts to be visible- “sorry, let´s get you some ice” -I take off my hoodie and give it to Levi-. 

We return to his home, and I take care of him.


	38. Chapter 38

"Dr. Kim, are you joining us today? - Dr. Bailey looks so excited, that I would not be surprised to see her clapping while jumping. 

“Yes, I didn´t know you were interested in peds” 

“I was years ago, when I finished my general fellowship, I applied to be a pediatric surgeon, but I had just had a child, I spent little time at home and my first husband gave me an ultimatum, or he or the fellowship, so I got divorced, and as it was a single mother, I had to give up the fellowship. But now my son is all grown up, and Ben fully supports me, so when Dr. Schmitt asked me I did not hesitate for a second.” 

-She is very chatty and smiling, I remember her more frightening, she could turn you into stone with just one look. - 

There some fellows and a few doctors, chosen by Levi. 

“Good morning everybody –Levi starts to talk- I know you have different backgrounds, so we'll start by setting the bases of peds in the skill labs.” 

“So no patients today?” -Bailey ask disappointed- 

“Exactly, forget everything you think you know about medicine, this is going to change. You are dealing with sick babies, and kids and their parents, parents who are nervous, emotional, worried, anxious, parents who look on the internet for information, who sometimes are fighting among themselves, and that it´s not something you learn in med school. So we are taking these step by step, you will in the rounds, just observing, no talking, but now all of you to the skills lab working on real cases.” 

Levi leads the way to the skill lab with. There are 12 tables, one per each doctor. 

“Don´t take this as a competition, it´s more an opportunity to learn. You have 25 cases, the cases are divided into five categories, easy with 9 cases, normal with 7, hard with 5, challenging with 3, and level 5 with 1 case, you have one week. The first of you who solve it successfully will scrub, study them and practice with the baby dummies.” 

Levi leaves the room. 

“I don´t sign for this.” -Bailey is clearly bummed- 

I open the first file is super easy a 3 days baby with jaundice, I run the diagnosis, the test, and treatment. 

Levi P.O.V. 

Third day. 

After the rounds, I go to the skill lab, I walk through the tables supervising the work. 

Some of the doctors are working fast on their first cases, others seem to struggle, but this helps to me know the level that each one has and help them. 

I leave the lab, and I go to the adjoining room. From there I can control the dummies; the cameras installed in the lab send their signal to the screens in my desk. 

One of the couples starts working on one of the cases tagged as hard. 

“Wrong, you kill the baby.” 

A fellow leaves the room in tears. 

Day five. 

There only 4 remaining doctors working on the cases, mostly finishing the hard level, and ready to start the challenging level. 

Levi since the control room manage the dummies, Taryn, Dahlia, and Casey go in the room. 

“Hey.” -Parker said- 

“Hello, traitors” -it´s the salute Levi gives to his friends- 

“Seriously? you still go with that?” 

“You are my friends, it´s supposed to support me and you left me alone” 

“We had lives Levi –Taryn said- and I don´t like kids, and I had my own research project.” 

“And I –Dahlia adds - I´m planning my wedding. 

“What´s your excuse?.” -I ask to Parker-. 

“None, I just don´t want to.” 

Levi is watching the screens, one of the remaining doctor, he connect the speaker: “Congrats Dr. Taylor, you just had blind the girl.” 

Dr. Taylor throws to the floor the medical equipment and leaves the lab pissed off. 

“What a temper!.” -Dahlia said while she is eating a lettuce salad- 

“I prefer that it means he cares, if he leaves the room like these it is playing with dolls and doesn´t matter, well then I would be the one who storms out the room screaming like if I was possessed by a demon”. 

“I will pay for seeing that.” -Taryn mocks- 

“Have you since these.” -Dahlia points at the screen- “Bailey is freaking out.” 

“Why do you do that to them? two of your team resigned yesterday.” -Casey ask- 

“I´m teaching, this is hard not everybody is made for peds, looking a baby, a child suffer, not everyone cup of tea, when one them die you can picture all that they will miss in their life, all the first moments they will miss, the first kiss, the first love, the first heartache, all fade away in one second, because of you, and sometimes the burden it´s unbearable. But those who stay, those who persist, maybe they will succeed, I´m teaching the hard part of peds, before showing the joy.” 

Levi turns his head to the screens again, open a soft drink, and a fruit candy bag. 

“That´s your meal? very healthy.” 

“I know, but I haven´t had time to buy something in the canteen.” -Levi justified- “It´s late”- Levi speak to the mic- “Ok, people it´s over for today.” 

Bailey from across the room- “No, no, no, no, no, I was so close, five more minutes.” 

“Sorry, Dr. Bailey time´s up.” 

Nico turns his neck to the sides, his neck crunches after so many hours looking down. 

then he took off the cap, the mask, and the gloves, he massages his left shoulder with his right hand, and then vice-versa. 

"Dr. Schmitt, that´s means the three of us fail?" 

Levi sighs "I´ll talk to all of you." 

Levi paged the doctors, to the lab. 

“Please sit. Today, we finish our first week, as you might know, two of your colleagues leave the program, I know you expect something... different, but before going to actual patients, you need to know that even you do everything by the book, it could work in unexpected ways, that´s when you need to think fast, react faster and think outside the box, you are learning that. 

I´m very happy with your work, every one of you should be proud, so let´s celebrate the first round of drinks at Joe´s it´s on me.” 

“Sorry, Dr. Schmitt, Who wins this competition?” -Miranda Bailey rises her hand- 

“All of you are winners, all of you learn, but as I suspected you are talking about the surgery, I got one surgery for each one of you, on Monday you will receive an e-mail with the surgery you will perform, and when. That´s all, now go to Joe´s have a nice time a talk good things about your handsome sexy teacher.” 

Some sniggering in the room is gradually emptying until only Nico and Levi are in there. 

“I need to talk to you.” -Nico is looking right through Levi´s eyes. 

“You want to leave.” 

“Yes, it´s I don´t feel it, practicing medicine has always been vocational for me, and the first time I hold in my hand a bone saw, I knew it, that´s what I born to do, but I don´t feel it.” 

“It´s ok, on Monday I´ll talk to Bailey. What are you going to do next?” 

“I don´t know.” 

“Do you wanna go for a drink and fix the world with a beer in our hands?.” 

“Yes”.


	39. Chapter 39

Nico P.O.V. 

It´s Sunday, it´s been snowing since Friday, and for today biggest storm is today. 

Cozy in the couch, the fireplace lit, covered with a white fur blanket, watching an old movie, when someone knocks on the door in a hurry. I get up lazily, while I put on my slippers, put my hands in the front pocket of my hoodie, and open the door. 

Levi's mother enters my house, she is nervous, she is rambling and I can barely understand what she tells me. When he has just spoken he looks at me with a questioning expression on his face. my brain is asleep, it is hard for me to start and connect what he has told me until finally, I understand it, I take my coat and go out with her in her house. 

When we enter his house, we go straight to Susan's room. Susan writhes in pain on the bed, there are bloodstains on the sheets."I'm in labor." she says in a choked, inaudible voice. 

“Ok, ok, ok, ok” -I can stop repeat that - “We should call 9-1-1.” 

“I told you, the roads are blocking with the snow. The snowplows are working, the forecast said that today will snow the same as the whole last year. 

I take a deep breath, trying to make up my mind, Susan´s screaming in pain took me off reverie. 

“Well, I need uh, I think I should do a check-up your belly to know the baby position.” 

Susan lies on her back in the bed, she goes up the shirt. I put both my hands flat on her belly, to feel the top of the uterus with the palm and with the fingers. I feel around a hard shape, this means that the baby´s head in the top of the uterus, I gentle make pressure in the above the pubic bone this part feels softer and irregular, the baby is in breech presentation. 

 

“I need my medical briefcase, I´ll be back.” - I need an excuse to leave the room- 

I leave the house and go to mine, I look for my phone and call Levi, but he is in the OR. I take my briefcase and come back to Levi´s house. 

I open the briefcase and left it on the bed, then I wash my hands thoroughly, I take globes and reach the opening of her vagina I insert my index and middle finger inside, I reach the cervix. 

“You are 5 cm dilated” - it seems this is going fast- 

“Don´t you have there a little of epidural for me?”   
“No, but ... - I turn to look for Sara, she is by my side. I stand up to take off my gloves- Sara I need your help.” 

She nods, Sara and I help Susan to lie on her right side, I put some cushions between her legs. Then I show her what I need she does, to make pressure in the lower back points which help to relieve the pain. 

“Better? -I ask her, while I go to checking her again- 

“Yes, a little better” 

The day goes by quicker than I want to. The night falls and with it the snowfall, I pray that there will not be a power outage and soon the snowplows can do their job clearing the roads and we can go to the hospital, I look outside the window my breath fogs the glass. 

“Nico...” - Susan calls me, her voice is scared- “my water just broke” 

“The baby is in a hurry to see what is outside. I think we don´t have another choice to deliver him here. We have two options. The first a C-section, which would have to do with a kitchen knife, which doesn´t cool. Or try a vaginal delivery, which is also risky.” 

Susan groans in pain with her last contraction - "We are going to try to do it through the vaginal route, and if everything gets complicated - she breaths- Do what you have to do but save my son." 

Levi's mother squeezes my shoulder to instill confidence in me, giving her approval to the plan. Sara's silent presence throughout the day has reassured me, and that has allowed me to think about what I should do and when to do it. 

"It's fine we'll do it your way, and pray that everything goes well." - I surrender, we can´t make it to the hospital, while I going to prepare everything I need-. 

I made another examination, she is fully dilatated- “Susan, I know you want to push, but please hold the urge to do it, wait until I tell you that you can do it. Ok?.” 

She nods, a few tears come out from her eyes. 

“I know you don´t love this, but I need you to change your position, Sara I need your help.”   
Levi´s mom is by my side, helping me in everything I need. 

We make Susan get on all fours on the bed - “Ok, Susan in the next contraction I want you to push.” 

Susan starts to push, and the baby butt shows 

“Good, good, good, you are a champ, you are doing great” - I try to cheer her up. But as this point, she is too tired, too weak.- 

Another push and then it can deliver one of the legs I splint the medial thigh parallel to the femur, and sweep the thigh laterally. One leg free, now repeat with the other. 

I wrap a towel around the baby, the gravity helps with the delivery, half of the torso is now out. I use my fingers to free the left arm, then the other one, only the head is left to leave. The baby is pale and barely moves. 

I cover the arms with the towel, I rotate the body and finally, the head is out. 

I clean up quickly the baby, he cries, and I finally can stop holding my breath. Susan collapses on the bed, Sara helps her to put on her back, I leave the baby with her. Both women cry from happiness. 

I cover the naked body of Susan with a blanket.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting for a while, a busy summer. Here you have a new chapter.

Levi is sitting on the swing in the backyard of his house. 

Nico sneaks up, in one hand he carries a beer and in the other Levi's coat, carefully puts the coat on his shoulders and sits next to him. 

"A beer?" 

Levi nods and reaches out and grabs the beer Nico offers him. 

"It has been a very nice service, thanks for taking care of everything" 

"You don't have to thank me, bro, she wrote everything that she wanted for her funeral, I only followed her instructions, anyway your mom is saying goodbye to the last guests”. 

Levi takes a ship of the beer. 

“I know this is a silly question, How are you?” -Nico asked softly- 

“ I´m numb, I thought that we will have more time, it´s not that I didn´t know she was dying, but still I was hoping that she will have a month at least. I haven´t cried even once. It´s that normal? -Levi rises his sight from the ground to Nico´s eyes-. 

“You have through a lot in only a few days, you have the rest of your life to cry for her. Have you slept something?" 

"I took a nap, 2 hours and I know you are going to scold me because I´m not resting, but I can´t when I close my eyes the only thing I can see is Susan´s dying." 

“I´m not gonna say anything, tomorrow your mom and I will be gone to sign my divorce, I can tell her to stay here.” 

“Please no, take her away, she is driving me crazy, I know she didn´t mean to but...” 

“Are you sure?” 

“It seems that it´s you the one who doesn´t want my mom around” - Levi jokes- 

“I don´t want to leave you alone” 

“That´s so sweet of you – Levi squeeze Nico´s knee- don´t worry I got Taryn, Dahlia, and Casey, I´ll survive three days alone.” 

They swing a little until Levi stopped 

“So, I can stop thinking about what will happen to Eli if something happened to me” 

“He has your mother” -Nico answer- 

“Yes, but she is older, she can run after him or that kind of stuff, I was thinking for a while in name a legal guardian” -Levi look askance at Nico- 

“That sounds very smart. Have you chosen someone?” 

“I was thinking in I don´t know, maybe you or Taryn or Dahlia. What do you say?” 

“YES! - he laughs- sorry, I don't want it to seem like I want something happens to you and keeps Eli, because I don't want anything to happen to you, but yes gladly accept be the guardian” 

“Thanks - Levi giggles Nico´s enthusiasm- Oh Fuck!, sorry I forgot telling Bailey that you are leaving.” 

“Don´t worry, I change my mind again, I wanna finish my training in peds with you, I wasn't able to deliver Eli if you didn´t teach me, and now I can´t stop thinking in how many kids I will help when I finish my certification” 

“Fine, let´s go inside, my ass is freezing”


	41. Chapter 41

Nico P.O.V. 

As soon as we arrived at the court Drew see us, he smiles confident and approaches to where we are. 

“We can stop this.” 

“But I don´t want to, I only want to divorce and never see you again.” 

He turns on his heels and goes with his lawyers. 

I was able to see Drew and his lawyers arguing, I have a bad feeling. 

“Don´t worry Nico, if they want to break up our agreement and fight, we will fight” -Levi´s mum gives me a warm smile, while she rubs my arm to calm down like she can read my mind. 

I smile back, taking a deep breath. 

The door opens, and everybody enters the room. 

 

Levi P.O.V. 

Taryn gives me a coffee - “Eli is doing well, so make everybody who loves you a favor, grab something to eat and rest, I will keep an eye on the baby, it´s an order.” 

“Fine” - I raise my hands in surrender- 

“I didn´t know I was so convincing” 

“And you haven´t been, but the way you squeeze and nailed your nails in my arm is” - Taryn releases my arm- I´m sure I´m gonna have a bruise” - I rub my arm- 

“Sorry, when I got nervous I don´t control my strength” 

I left the N.I.C.U. in the elevator Dahlia join me heading to the canteen. 

“You take very seriously your escort role” 

“Shut up, you know every day that passes you remind me to the grumpy dwarf, and not only for your mood” - she strokes Levi´s beard- “It´s too long, and makes you look older.” 

“Do you think that right now how I look is important?” 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

It seems that Drew changes his mind and regrets his infidelities, and he does not want to divorce, all the work that Levi's mother and her friend have done is about to go down. 

We have a break, I go outside the court for a coffee, I want is kicking something, Drew´s head will be perfect. 

Levi P.O.V. 

I look in the bathroom mirror, take off my glasses and come closer to see better, Dahlia is right. 

My skin has a paleness worthy of competing with a corpse, the dark circles of my eyes, gray hairs all over my hair even in my beard, I look like a castaway. Since Eli was born and Susan died I feel old. 

I leave the bathroom and go to the cafeteria hopefully I can get a couple of glazed donuts and a soda, and then a shower and sleep for a while. 

 

Nico P.O.V. 

After hours of intense negotiation finally is over, and I got my divorce, my money and full custody of Archie my dog. 

I go to the bathroom after all these hours I took off my jacket, my shirt is sweat for the tension, I wash my face, and smile to the mirror I´m finally free. 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Levi is at the nurse's station trying to read a chart. 

"Hey, what do we have" -Nico take away the chart from Levi´s hands- 

"Nico? I thought you arrived on Thursday" 

"Today is Thursday, let me guess since I left you have been living in the hospital, without sleeping, without eating, and you don't know what day you live" 

“And my mom?” 

“I left her in the N.I.C.U. screaming to the nurse let her sees Eli, How is he doing by the way?” 

“He is doing great, next week we will be at home” - Levi is distracted staring at an intern´s ass-. 

"If you keep staring at Dr. Carter's ass, he can report you for sexual harassment" 

"He has the most perfect ass I've ever seen," he replies distracted without paying attention to Nico. 

Carter looks at the nurse station and quickly looks away blushing and leaves. 

"It´s better than mine? I doubt it, Are you sleeping with him?" _Nico ask surprise- 

"I wish, but he is straight, I was in an on-call room sleeping when Carter and a nurse came in and before I knew they were naked" 

"And now you're horny" 

"Of course, I've been - Levi lowers her voice to almost an imperceptible whisper- 18 months without sex" 

“Eighteen months” -Nico exclaims surprised- 

Levi's eyes widen in horror. 

 

"Sorry" - Nico grieved - "me 8 months" 

"You are not doing better than me – Levi mocks- I miss sex" 

“Me too, maybe we should have sex together” 

Levi stares at Nico´s eyes, then he breaks to laughs- “You almost got me, almost” -he answers to Nico proposition- 

“Yes, I was joking, well I better get to work, see you later?”. 

“Yes, lunch together?” 

“Sounds good, call me”.


	42. Chapter 42

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

Levi and Nico are performing a surgery on a girl. 

 

Nico is awe seeing how Levi is focused, how secure he is, the way he is teaching to the residents and interns, it seems like he is doing magic with the delicates hands movements, Nico can´t believe how Levi mature over the years and how great he is at his work. 

 

“Now I understand why your nickname is The Wizard” - Nico said while he takes off his gloves and goes ahead directly to the scrub sink. 

 

Levi laughs and shakes his head - “Please don´t call me that, I hate it.” 

“Why?, _Nico asks thunderstruck- It suits you, you look alike Harry Potter.” 

“So, do you like yours?” -Levi look at Nico eyes.- 

“I´m the ninja doctor.” -Nico smiles under his mask- 

“Being a ninja is cooler than a wizard.” 

Nico's phone buzzes, his face shows how disappointed he is. 

“What it is?” 

“My realtor she doesn´t found the perfect place for me and Archie, the places she found are or too expensive or too small, she said that I´m being to lower my demands, and get ride of Archie” 

“You should fire her, and look by yourself, in the end, your parents love having you around, she must know your dog is important for you” 

“Maybe, I don´t know, whatever I´m not taking that decision today” - he gasps- “But you look happy” -Nico said while he is washing his hands- 

 

“I´m, finally everything is falling in place, Eli is healthy at home with my mom, and my new house is already finished and I can move there before the year ends” -Levi finished the washing and go outside to inform the family-. 

 

“So, Are you moving out?” -Nico ask while they walk to the waiting room- 

 

“Yes, this weekend, I even thinking about throwing a party, maybe New year´s eve.” 

 

“Are you sure?, I mean, it sounds pretty rush to me and a party has a lot of work, and you barely have time.” 

 

“I´ll hire a catering, and I´ll figure it out the rest, I´ll deserve to have fun.” 

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

 

New Year´s Eve. 

 

It´s the 11:16 p.m. when Nico finally arrives at Levi´s doorstep, the music pumping through the windows. He rangs the doorbell, a waitress open the door. 

Nico is wearing a black tuxedo with a black shirt and a black tie, he sees his family and goes to greet them, a waiter offers them a glass of champagne. 

Levi takes his son in his arms, then he leaves the room goes to the kitchen, puts a dishtowel on his right shoulders, and begins to gives Eli his bottle. 

After being at the party like half of the hour, Nico still didn´t saw Levi. Nico stretches his neck looking for Levi, at the back of the room, he sees Taryn, Parker, and Qadri and Levi heads towards them with the baby, Nico makes his way to them. 

“Hi, guys” - Nico greets his friends- 

“Hey, you made it” -Parker said- 

“Weren´t you coming?” -Taryn spits to Nico- 

“When I was coming home a patient with an emergency came to the hospital, it took me a little time, but I made it on time, and now a resident is keeping an eye on him”. 

Levi left Eli on his smoothing swing. 

 

“Hi, Nico. Do you like it?” -pointing at his house- 

“Yes, it´s beautiful, no one can say this was the old and decrepit house of a mad old witch” 

Levi had to talk to the catering manager, he is hesitating on leaving Eli alone. 

“Don´t worry, we take care of him, go” -Qadri encourages him- 

Eli coos quickly turn into a fussing then burst into an indignant crying and whimpers, Nico takes Eli on his arms trying to calm him down. Nico put Eli face to face with him and shakes gently the baby. 

The baby throws up in Nico´s face, jacket, and shirt, Levi sees this and goes to them with a towel. 

“Sorry, Nico” _Levi apologizes while he cleans Nico face and clothes- 

“He pucked in my mouth” _Nico snorts- “It´s disgusting.” 

Levi realizes that he is spreading the vomit stain, instead of cleaning it, the people at the party look at them. 

"Come with me" _Levi takes his baby in his arms and pulls the jacket sleeve to follow him, which Nico does. 

Levi takes Nico to the master bedroom. - “You can use my bathroom to clean up yourself, I´m taking Eli to the nursery” 

Nico looks at the mirror, he smells the vomit in his clothes, he takes off his jacket and shirt and throws them away, then he opens the showerhead, and he strips naked and goes inside. 

The water runs through his body, he cleans his face three or four times until he feels clean, then he runs his hands through his entire body. 

He gets out of the shower and rolls a towel to his waist, and he uses a small one to dry his face. 

Levi enters his room and sees Nico wet almost naked, he can take his eyes off Nico, how the water drops go form Nico´s neck and slowly go down to the chest, then his abs, and finally landing in the towel. 

“I talked to your mom, she will go to your house and pick some clean clothes.” 

“Ok, thanks, buddy. In the meantime, Don´t you have any clothes that fit me?” 

“I don´t, sorry” 

Downstairs the silence is made as everybody watches on tv the ball drop, then people start to do the countdown to midnight, Levi looks at his watch, he sighs and gets close to Nico. 

At midnight people shares a kiss, and Levi kisses Nico. 

“Sorry duty calls” -as Levi takes out his back pocket the baby monitor, and leaves the room. 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


	43. Chapter 43

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

 

Levi closes the main door entrance, he sighs in relieve finally all his guests left and shortly after the catering service. 

 

Levi takes off his tuxedo jacket and throws it on a chair, then he unknotted the bow tie, unbuttoned his shirt collar. 

His feet are killing him, after years of getting used to wearing sports shoes, he takes off his shoes and walks barefoot. 

He approaches a table where there is a bottle of champagne in a bucket with melted ice, Levi serves the remains of the bubbling golden liquid in a cup, he sits on the couch. 

 

He looks at the mess his house is now. 

 

“I´ll clean tomorrow” - Levi said to him- 

 

Someone clears his throat behind Levi. 

 

Levi wakes up scared from the sofa- “Holy shit!, Nico you scared me, What the fuck are you doing here?” 

 

“Sorry, it´s ahm... the back door was open, and I need to talk to you.” -Nico said as an apology- “I close the door by the way.” 

 

“And that can´t wait until tomorrow?. It´s late and I´m tired.” 

 

Nico denies with his head. 

 

“OK, Come on.” -Levi points to the coffee table in front of him, Nico sits- 

 

“There´s something I want to tell you, it´s important at least for me.” -Nico sighs- “Sorry, I don´t know where to start” 

 

“Nico, it´s me, so if you kill somebody, don´t worry I´ll help you clean and get rid of the body, no questions ask” 

 

Nico chuckles - “I didn´t kill no one, but good to know I´ll have your help. We know each other for a long time, we were friends, then foes, then lovers, I break up with you I tried to come back with you, you dump me and after that, you go to New York” 

 

-Levi cuts Nico- “I was there, remember?. Was the point of all this?. 

 

-Nico takes a deep breath-“You kiss me and I know it was because it´s the tradition, but for me was something else.” 

 

“What are you trying to say? 

 

“Levi, I have feelings for you, and it´s fine if you don´t feel the same way, but I wanted to be completely honest with you.” -Nico stares at Levi waiting for his reaction- “You don´t have to say something, but it would be nice” 

 

Levi is silent he is looking at the floor tangled hands in his mouth. 

 

Nico gets up in his face you can see the disillusioned with frowned lips “I should leave, it´s late goodbye Levi”. 

 

Nico strides to the door, he opens it, but something makes him slams the door, Nico lows his sight, in the latch in his hand, and a little bit higher Levi´s hand, then Nico feels Levi´s arms around his waist. 

 

“ I... I... I´m sorry, Nico” -Levi rests his head in Nico´s back- “I feel the same way about you, but I´m a coward, I didn´t want to risk the relationship we have. 

 

Nico turns to confront Levi face to face, Nico caress Levi´s cheek, and cup Levi´s face with both hands, smiling at him. 

 

“Are you going to kiss me or just stare at me?” _Levi ask- 

 

Nico leans and kisses Levi. 

 

“I have a very comfortable bed upstairs” - Levi points his bedroom but suddenly Eli´s cry breaks the moment- “In the fridge is a bottle of champagne, grab it, meanwhile I make him fall asleep.” 

 

Levi runs up the stairs, stumbling on the last step. 

Enter your child's bedroom. 

he takes it in his arms trying to calm his crying, he realizes that the diaper is wet. 

Levi puts the baby on the changing table, after putting on a clean one and throwing the dirty one, he sits in the rocking chair while a babysitter sings for him to sleep. 

 

The fatigue of the hustle and bustle for the party is now present and Levi takes over as he falls asleep with his baby in his arms. 

 

Nico is in the kitchen, he has taken the bottle of champagne and the two glasses, he climbs the stairs calmly, he cannot stop smiling, thinking that he will spend a night of passion with Levi. 

 

He has been waiting for Levi in his room for a while and has tried different sexy poses with which to seduce Levi, but after more than 15 minutes waiting for him, he goes to Eli's room. 

He leans against the door frame, seeing that Levi has fallen asleep in while cradling his son, that vision makes his heart melt, and takes a picture to preserve that tender moment. He sighs and shakes his head, maybe another day will have more luck, for now, he will settle for sleeping next to him. 

Nico enters the room, carefully making sure that he can take Levi in his arms without the baby being in danger, very carefully he lifts Levi and loads him to the bed, there he clothes him; then Nico goes to bed and falls asleep looking at Levi. 

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


	44. Chapter 44

The next morning Levi wakes up in an empty bed, he stretches and caresses the cool bed sheet. He looks around confused about how he ends in his bedroom, he doesn´t remember, maybe is the hangover, although he didn´t drink so much alcohol last night, probably after he puts Eli in his crib, he stumbles into his bed, that´s how he explained sleep in his tuxedo, he gets out of bed, planning eat a good breakfast quietly before Eli wakes up crying. Levi scratches his head, looking for some clothes more comfortable, and goes downstairs. 

 

In the kitchen he sees Nico giving Eli the bottle. 

 

"Good morning sleepy head " - Nico greeted Levi. 

"What are you doing here?" -Levi asks confused- 

"Remember last night?" -Nico approaches Levi carrying Eli his arms, Levi nods - "You fell asleep in the rocking chair and I carried both of you to your bed. I've made coffee if you want to have breakfast" 

Levi grabs the trouser loop and kisses Nico. 

"So, this is real?" 

Nico nods, giving the young doctor a warm smile. 

Levi smiles back -“Sorry about last night.” 

Nico´s cell phone buzzed on the kitchen table, Nico read the text- “I have to go to the hospital” 

 

“Can you call in sick? and stay here with me and maybe – Levi gets closer to Nico and starts to play with the buttons on Nico´s shirt- finish what you started last night.” 

 

“I wish, but since I had no plans, I offered to volunteer to be on call, and I don´t wanna upset Bailey.” 

 

“Ok, but you will make up for me.” -Levi bites his lower lip- 

 

“I see you later.” -Nico kiss Levi before going to the hospital- 

 

Later that day 

 

Nico is in his parent's house packing clean clothes. 

 

“This is not a hotel” - Nico´s mom barks behind his back- 

 

“What?” -Nico turns around to look at his mom- 

 

“You heard me, Nico, this is not a hotel, I know you are an adult, but you can´t enter and leave this house without giving any explanation" - she leaves his son´s room- 

 

Soon after Nico´s dad crossed the corridor. 

 

“Dad, wait. What was a dad?” 

 

“Your mother had a fight with your sisters because of you, she is worried, just that” - Nico´s dad sits on the bed and tap a spot next to him, Nico follows his order and sits- “We are all worried, your mom, your sisters, and me” – Nico is about to open his mouth, but his father make a sign to shut up- “since you come here after your split up with Drew, you were lost and we leave you time and space to get on track, and you finally did it, you returned to be a surgeon, and your mom and I thought that after a few months you will be living your life, don´t get me, wrong son, we are more than happy to having you here, you haven´t spent so much time with the family since before leaving for college” 

 

“Dad” 

 

“I'm not finished Nico, listen to me - Nico´s father squeezes Nico´s knee- You are stuck, the only thing you do is working, and son this is not live, you need to move on to your apartment, you need to have fun even dating someone when you are ready, now I´m finish” 

 

“Dad thanks, I didn´t realize that I was focusing on my work until last night, and I agree, I was stuck but I´m going to change that.” 

 

“I´m happy to hear that, the only thing your mother and I want for you and your sisters is to be happy” - he smiles to Nico- “I will talk to your mother, and smooth things, my work never ends” 

 

Nico finishes the packing and says goodbye to their parents. 

 

Levi is waiting in his house, he is trying to be calm, but he feels like a virgin again after nearly 19 months of abstinence. 

 

The doorbell rang, Levi gets up from the couch and runs to open the door. 

 

“Hi” - Levi greets- “Do you want to come in?” 

 

Nico enters and kisses passionately Levi. 

 

“How was your day?” _levi asks- 

 

“Oh, you know, a lot of hangovers, overdose, nothing worthy of talk. Where can I leave this?” -points his backpack- 

 

“Give me I´ll leave it in my bedroom. I made dinner, it´s in the coffee table” 

 

Nico sits on the couch, while Levi goes upstairs. 

 

After dinner, they have a drink, Levi lights the fireplace, he barely looks at Nico, trying to hide his nervousness. 

Nico left his glass on the coffee table, kneel beside Levi- “We don´t have to do anything” 

 

“Sorry, it´s not that I don´t want to, I feel anxious, I don´t want to fuck it up” _Levi looks at Nico´s eyes, the older man smiles back at him and leans and kiss Levi. 

 

Levi closes his eyes and goes with the flow, Levi tangled his fingers in Nico´s hair and slowly leans back on the carpet, Nico is on top, he unbuttons his shirt while Levi takes off his sweater. 

 

Nico stops kissing Levi - “Do you have condoms?” 

 

“Yeah, in my nightstand” -he sights- 

 

Nico stands up and gives Levi a hand helping him to get up, then Nico lifts Levi and carried him on his shoulder, Levi screams a little before realizes he can wake up his baby. 

 

In the bedroom Nico drops Levi on the bed, Nico takes off his shoes awkwardly, and starts unbutton his jeans, Levi wakes up from bed, and kneel before Nico, helping him to lower his pants, Levi starts to kiss Nico underwear Nico´s cock gets harder and harder, Levi rubs Nico cock, he stands up and kiss Nico in his mouth, then the neck, goes down to the nipples playing with them, licking, biting after a few minutes Levi kiss the abs, and free Nico cocks from the underwear and start teasing with his tongue the glands. 

 

Levi spits on his hand and starts wanking Nico, kissing his balls, and sucking Nico´s dick. 

Levi opens the fly on his pants and wanks himself. 

 

Nico grabs Levi head and moves it rhythmically in sync with his hips, the slobber from Levi´s mouth makes a small puddle on the floor. 

 

Nico makes Levi stand up, making Levi lie on the bed, suck Levi´s dick and start fingering Levi´s ass. 

After a while Levi is begging moan to feel Nico inside, Nico is more than happy to please Levi and break into Levi's tight ass. 

 

Levi´s ass is burning because the pain, Levi tries to relax, Nico feels how uncomfortable Levi is, so they change the position, Nico lying back while Levi is riding his cock controlling how deep the penetration is. 

 

Levi opens his asshole, to let Nico be inside him, then he starts to move his hips upside down, Nico´s hands run through Levi´s body, pinching Levi´s nipple, then puts his hands on Levis's hips helping bouncing faster, Nico´s dick is hitting Levi´s prostate gland, making the young doctor moaning first in a dull pain but after a few moments it becomes more and more pleasure Levi´s cock is harder than ever bouncing between his abdomen and Nico´s, Levi´s cock burst into a huge cumshot without touching, the cum reaches Nico´s face, chest, and abs. 

 

Nico is surprised by this, so he decided to change position to the missionary, embracing Levi and fucking harder and deeper Levi´s ass, until he cums inside. 

 

Then they kiss, laugh, caressing each other. 

 

Next morning. 

 

Nico is showering while Levi is taking care of his baby. 

Nico is brushing his teeth. 

“Is that my toothbrush? -Nico nods- That´s disgusting” 

 

Nico with his mouth full of toothpaste - “Explain to me this, is ok sucking your dick with my mouth, but using your toothbrush is disgusting?” 

 

“Wha..., wha..., -Levi tries to order his thoughts- How I supposed to answer that?” 

 

Levi opens the cabinet under the sink and gets out two toothbrushes “One blue and one green, choose, they are new” 

 

“You hate green, so I choose blue” 

 

Levi gives Nico the blue one, takes away from Nico´s hand the old toothbrush, and toss in the trash. Nico grabs Levi´s arms, making him turn around and kissing him. Levi´s mouth is now stained with toothpaste, Levi pulls out Nico´s towel leaving him naked, to cleans his mouth. 

 

“Levi give me the towel” 

 

“You want it? Come and take it” - Levi start running with the towel, Nico runs after him.


End file.
